EU signs €1.6 bn contract with Hispasat for IRIS² ground segment

IRIS² Hispasat €1.6 bn ground segment 348 satellites EU satellite programme

The European Commission and the European Space Agency have signed an implementation agreement with the SpaceRISE consortium to launch the IRIS² satellite programme. The constellation will comprise 348 satellites – 330 in low‑Earth orbit and 18 in medium‑Earth orbit – after the addition of 66 extra satellites, raising secure governmental‑communication capacity by about 60 % in the EU and 54 % worldwide. The total programme budget exceeds €15.6 billion.

Hispasat, 89.68 % owned by Indra, has been awarded the main ground‑segment contract worth more than €1.6 billion. The company will design, build and operate the antenna network, control systems and the Low‑LEO layer, investing up to €600 million of its own funds. Spain will contribute €1.6‑2.0 billion, while Poland and Hungary have pledged €656 million and €500 million respectively. The first satellite launches are scheduled for 2029, with services expected to begin in 2029‑2030, providing sovereign, secure connectivity for European governments, defence forces and emergency services.

Entities: Andrius Kubilius · European Commission · European Union · Eutelsat · HispaSat · Hispasat S.A. · IRIS² · Indra · Indra Sistemas S.A. · SES · SpaceRISE · SpaceRISE consortium

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 10 SOURCES] The European Commission signed an implementation agreement with the SpaceRISE consortium for the IRIS² satellite programme. (new)
[● 8 SOURCES] The first IRIS² satellite launches are scheduled for 2029, with services expected to begin in 2029‑2030. (new)
[● 10 SOURCES] The IRIS² constellation will consist of 348 satellites, with 330 in low‑Earth orbit and 18 in medium‑Earth orbit. (new)
[● 5 SOURCES] Adding 66 satellites will increase secure governmental communication capacity by about 60 % in the EU and 54 % worldwide. (new)
[● 10 SOURCES] The total budget for the IRIS² programme exceeds €15.6 billion. (new)
[● 11 SOURCES] Hispasat was awarded the main ground‑segment contract for IRIS² worth more than €1.6 billion. (new)
[● 11 SOURCES] The SpaceRISE consortium comprises Hispasat (Spain), Eutelsat (France) and SES (Luxembourg) together with industry partners such as Airbus Defence and Space, Thales Alenia Space, OHB and Deutsche Tele (new)
[● 5 SOURCES] Poland, Hungary and Spain have pledged contributions of €656 million, €500 million and €1.6‑2.0 billion respectively to the IRIS² project. (new)