SpaceRISE, a consortium comprising Eutelsat, Hispasat and SES, has secured a concession contract offer on the European Union’s multi-orbit satellite connectivity system.
The European Commission said the consortium’s contract tasks for the EU’s Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite, or IRIS², will tap the services of a core team of subcontractors composed of Thales Alenia Space, OHB, Airbus Defence and Space, Telespazio, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Hisdesat and Thales SIX. The 12-year contract offer to SpaceRISE also provides the appropriate means for competitive subcontracting in the IRIS² supply chain, particularly for small and medium enterprises and innovative, new industry players.
Under the contract, SpaceRISE will develop, deploy and operate IRIS² as a public-private partnership on a satellite system with over 290 spacecraft and associated ground components. The system’s governmental services are expected to start by 2030 while IRIS² is setting commercial market entry, the EC said. According to a separate SpaceRISE statement on the contract, full operational status for IRIS² is targeted for the early 2030s.
The EU and the European Space Agency will fund the concession contract, with counterpart SpaceRISE investments. The contract’s signing is scheduled for December.