Europe Will Launch Its Own Satellite Constellation As Its Breakup With America Continues

The European Union has finalized plans to launch a sovereign satellite constellation, owned and operated through a public-private partnership. Starting in 2029, IRIS² will add 66 satellites to the current count, bringing the total up to 348 satellites across both low- and medium-Earth orbits, with a primary goal of providing redundancy for critical communications for governments and militaries across the EU. 

You can think of this as a miniature version of SpaceX's much larger Starlink constellation, which already has around 10,000 satellites and is still growing. This is the exact service that Ukrainian forces have been using to keep soldiers connected. At least, so long as CEO Elon Musk wants those soldiers to be connected, which he apparently doesn't always want to do. Europe has recognized that satellite constellations are key to 21^st century security, and Starlink or any other commercial operator can't be relied on. Best to rely on yourself.

This is all part of the long, slow, sad breakup between Europe and the U.S. The Trump administration has been just a little unfriendly to Europe, up to and including saber-rattling about seizing Greenland from Denmark. Unsteadiness has led many allies to question or cancel their F-35 purchases. For space activity, the continent has often relied on its Atlantic partner to be the big player on its behalf. The EU is now actively trying to build up its own, independent space capabilities, hedging against a potential future where America is simply not there for it.

As the EU and European space companies build up their muscles, they're not going to be able to catch SpaceX (let alone all of American business and military) all at once. IRIS² is slated to be a fairly small service at start, acting mainly as an emergency backup in case normal communications get knocked out by natural or unnatural (Russian) disasters. Out of the total 348 satellites, 330 will be in low-Earth orbit (LEO), which is where Starlink and Amazon's Leo satellites are operating. 

Interestingly, IRIS² will also put a further 18 satellites into medium-Earth orbit (MEO). This is much farther out from the Earth, going as much as 22,000 miles from the surface. Basically, by being farther away, a satellite gets a wider coverage of a bigger slice of our planet. This is where GPS satellites operate, for example, and it's much less crowded. No word on what the MEO orbiters will do exactly, but you could think of this as a backup to the backup.

Along with the EU government itself, IRIS² is being led by the SpaceRISE consortium. This is a group set up for this specific purpose comprised of SES, Eutelsat, and Hispasat, all European space companies. To that end, the companies will also be able to sell access to these satellites to businesses and individuals, too, though expect the public and defense sectors to get priority. The whole project is funded with government contracts, split between the EU itself and individual member states, per the European Space Agency. Spain, Poland, and Hungary are leading the way here; other countries may follow suit.

That right there is one of the reasons America has had an easier time going to space than Europe: On the continent, everything is a giant group project. Germany and France are the bloc's wealthiest members, but they're not ponying up? It's easier in the U.S., where the federal government can just decide to fund a project and go. Or at least, it could before it started impounding funds and fighting with Congress about it. It's even easier for SpaceX, which just does what it wants with fewer and fewer regulations in the way. Becoming a power player in space isn't easy. But at long last, Europe is starting to try.