On February 14, 2023, the European Parliament (the EP) plenary adopted the report on the proposal for a Regulation of the EP and of the Council establishing the Union Secure Connectivity Programme (IRIS² – the EU’s first Multi-orbital Satellite Constellation) for the period of 2023 – 2027. 

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IRIS² is the EU’s first Multi-orbital Satellite Constellation. Then, it will join its counterparts Galileo & Copernicus. As complementing them, IRIS² shall provide sovereign, secure, resilient and cost-effective seamless communication services, with initial services by 2025, and full operational capacity by 2027. It will also offer secure connectivity and broadband services throughout dead zones bridging the digital divide to the EU and its partners. The manufacturers are looking forward to the text publication from the Council of the EU to outline the proposals for building, launching and deploying IRIS² in space. 

According to the briefing of Legislation in Progress, the infrastructure shall be composed of a ground segment and a space segment. In addition, it will include the construction and launch of around 170 LEO satellites between 2025 and 2027. Particularly, the article 3(2) the proposal draw 5 specific objectives: 

1. Improving the resilience of EU communication services by developing and operating a multi- orbital connectivity infrastructure.
2. Contributing to cyber resilience and operational cybersecurity, including by integrating the EuroQCI’s space and ground segments. 
3. Improving the EU space programme’s other capabilities and services.
4. Encouraging the deployment of innovative technologies by leveraging the ‘new space’ industry.
5. Ensuring high-speed broadband and seamless connectivity throughout the EU, removing communication dead zones, and enabling connectivity over geographical areas of strategic interest. 

Sources: 

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_BRI(2022)729442

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2022/729442/EPRS_BRI(2022)729442_EN.pdf

https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/adoption-european-parliament-iris2-europes-new-infrastructure-resilience-interconnection-security-2023-02-14_en

Text to be published soon: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/plenary/en/texts-adopted.html

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