The European Commission approved the ‘Breton Constellation’, as it is colloquially known, just two years ago and is now taking a decisive step. In mid-February 2024, the main players in the industry (Airbus DS, Thales Alenia Space, Hispasat, SES, T-Systems and Eutelsat) will submit the final draft to the Commission. However, as European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton briefly explained before the panel, the 12-year contract will not be signed until March 2024.
Panelists remained tight-lipped about the details of the proposal, which would be operated as a public-private partnership (PPP). Still, some information is starting to emerge. The architecture selected for Iris2 (Satellite-based Infrastructure for Resiliency, Interconnectivity, and Security) is based on at least 200 satellites distributed in low earth orbit (LEO), medium earth orbit (MEO), and geostationary orbit (GEO). Starlink currently operates only in low Earth orbit. orbit.
There are no official details at this time, but Iris2 will need a backbone of at least 170 satellites to cover low Earth orbit. “This is an order of magnitude for continuous coverage of the globe.” says Christophe Allemand, who works in the Connectivity and Secure Communications Division at the European Space Agency (ESA). Medium orbit requires about 30 satellites. ”However, it has longer delays than LEO.” said Allemand.
In terms of weight, Starlink and OneWeb satellites are small (150 kg for the latter and 1.2 tons for Starlink V.2.0), so future Iris2 relays may also follow this pattern. Additionally, the satellite is expected to be compatible with 5G standards used by terrestrial carriers, allowing for integration with other communications systems, unlike Starlink, which operates in a closed circuit. However, a winning proposal isOne that provides the most relevant architecture for the European Union and Consortium trading partners” says Christophe Alleman.
For the record, IRIS2 will be Europe’s third satellite component, following the Galileo (positioning) system and the Copernicus (earth observation) system. Its main mission is to ensure the security of government telecommunications and public services while providing worldwide Internet coverage.
Benefits for Europe
Funded at €6 billion* over 12 years, one of Iris2’s main objectives is to protect Europe’s sovereignty, including in areas important to the continent such as Africa and the Arctic. At the 2022 Space Conference, Commissioner Brereton said:We provide access for all Europeans by ending dead zones“. moreover, “The Iris2 constellation is important to Europe because space is strategic. That’s an advantage,” said Louis Pinto, CEO of Luxembourg-based carrier SES. We aim to provide critical services in times of natural disasters and conflicts.
Starlink, for example, is largely subject to the decisions of its CEO (Elon Musk), who can arbitrarily choose to stop providing access to the service. In September 2023, during a drone attack on the Russian fleet in the Black Sea, he decided to cut off access to the Ukrainian government’s networks. In the case of Europe, making services available to key users in a manner determined in Brussels by member state governance.
Second, the Iris2 constellation can also serve the military. “This constellation will be able to carry military cargo.” says Thierry Breton. He also pointed out that the war between Russia and Ukraine that began two years ago shows that member states need a constellation designed for military purposes.
go fast
Additionally, the satellite design may allow space for additional payloads, especially observation missions (hosted payloads). “But this depends on the call for ideas and who is willing to invest.” said Marc-Henri Serres, Executive Vice President Telecommunications at Thales Alenia Space (TAS). Such a process could be used, for example, to adapt Sentinel 4’s payload to the two third-generation Meteosat MTG-S (S stands for Sounder) satellites currently under development at Thales Alenia Space in Cannes. It has already been used in the past.
When it comes to security, Iris2 is protected. ”Thanks to new generation encryption systems” Marc-Henri Serres said, without providing further details. However, it does not involve TeQuantS quantum technology, which is also being researched by TAS. This is not expected to mature.”Until around 2030 or 2035”.
Requires multiple launchers
And time is of the essence, as Iris2 is expected to be deployed as early as next year, but that depends on the arrival of Ariane 6 (although first services will be available from the end of this year through the EU’s GovSatcom initiative). ). After a decade of development (and nearly four years of delays), Europe’s new heavy-duty rocket is scheduled to debut on June 15, 2024. Arianespace Chief Commercial Officer Stephen Rutgers confirmed during the roundtable that Ariane 6 is gearing up for development. First flight. The main components of the first flight model (FM-1), the upper and middle stages, have been “almost fully” integrated at Ariane Group’s facilities in Germany (particularly Bremen) and France (Les Moureaux).
They will be transported to the Guiana Space Center by the ship Kanopy in the coming weeks. “However, to deploy the satellite (of the constellation)there are two things you need” said Ekaterini Cavada, Director of Space Development and Innovation at the European Commission. “european launcher (Ariane 6), But I need multiple launchers” she added.
This suggests that Iris2 will also be deployed by small launch operators in Europe. Currently, Spain’s PLD Space is the only operator on the continent to have completed a suborbital flight with its Miura-1 rocket, completing the flight on October 7, 2023 after 12 years of development. Its Miura-5 orbital system is scheduled to make its first flight from French Guiana in 2025. Ekaterini Cavada also emphasized that Arianespace should support these operators in deploying this constellation as soon as they are ready. 2027.
