WHAT IS THE IRIS² PROGRAMME?

ESA is cooperating with the European Commission to develop the EU's flagship multi-orbit secure telecommunications programme, Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite, or IRIS². The programme will provide the EU with secure and enhanced communication and connectivity capabilities for EU governments, businesses, and citizens.

ESA will supervise and confirm the development and validation of the infrastructure, designed and deployed by industry.

Secure Information for Europe

Keeping European citizens safe from cyberattacks that can lead to the disruption of essential supplies – such as power, water and the flow of crucial information – is vital in today’s increasingly digital world. In September 2023 ESA and the European Commission signed an agreement to use space to help keep information secure. 

IRIS² - Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite 

The agreement envisages a constellation of satellites – supported by information-relaying infrastructure on the ground – that will be used by European governments and businesses to keep information secure and confidential. 

Called “IRIS²” – which stands for “Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite” – the system will promote digital autonomy and provide a strategic asset for the EU. 

Under the 12-year agreement, ESA will work with space companies in the EU to develop and validate in orbit the Iris2 constellation, on behalf of the European Commission. 

IRIS² will use advanced technologies, including quantum cryptography, to keep European information secure. The first satellites and their ground stations are expected to be operational by the end of 2027, based on a contract to be signed in 2024. 

ESA is a long-term EU partner 

ESA has a long track record as a trusted partner in security for space with its member states and the European Commission. It is now working with the European Commission to create a highly secure, satellite-enabled connectivity system.

ESA and the EU have been close partners in European space for decades. ESA has designed and developed elements of the EU’s space programme including the Galileo system – with its 28-satellite constellation and its global ground stations – that together provide a highly accurate, guaranteed global positioning service under civilian control, as well as the fleet of EU Copernicus Earth observation satellites that deliver data to improve the management of the environment, understand and mitigate the effects of climate change, and ensure civil security. ESA also created the EU’s European satellite navigation system for aircraft.

European digital sovereignty

Timo Pesonen of the Directorate General for Defence, Industry and Space (DG-DEFIS) at the European Commission said: “I welcome the signature of the contribution agreement with ESA. The Agency will play an instrumental role in supporting the Commission in developing and validating the IRIS² system. Connectivity is a major strategic challenge that will mark the next decades. Europe needs to act fast if it does not want to be left behind and protect its digital sovereignty and societal resilience.”

Independent access to secure, space-enabled connectivity

Josef Aschbacher, ESA Director General, said: “Independent access to secure, space-enabled connectivity is essential for people in Europe to enjoy the immense but often unseen benefits that space brings to daily life on Earth. ESA is proud to cooperate closely with the European Commission to ensure that space enhances the lives of European citizens — and to foster a strong and resilient European space economy.”