ESA Expands and Accelerates IRIS² Satellite Constellation Deployment

The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced an expanded deployment plan for IRIS², the EU's secure connectivity satellite constellation. An agreement between the European Commission and the SpaceRISE consortium will accelerate the program, increasing the main constellation to 348 satellites, including 66 additional units for defense, security, and emergency response. ESA will oversee the technical implementation as the project moves to full-scale deployment.