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Highlights on IRIS² from the 13th SES Workshop on Space Communications

  • 20 September 2025

The 13th SES Workshop on Space Communications in the 3rd Millennium: Challenges, Regulation and Technology, held on 18 September 2025 and jointly organized by SES and the University of Luxembourg at Betzdorf. Professor Mahulena Hofmann, SES Chair in Space, SatCom and Media Law at the University of Luxembourg, invited Professor Sergio Marchisio to coordinate Panel II: EU, ESA and IRIS² – Status Quo and Outlook, dedicated to IRIS² – Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite.

The panel examined this flagship EU initiative under the Union Secure Connectivity Programme, established by Regulation (EU) 2023/588.

Distinguished speakers included:

  • Shruti Vyas, Vice President, IRIS² & Next Generation MEO Programme, SES
  • Gisela Suess, Head of the Legal Services Department, ESA
  • Leopold Mantl, Legal Service, European Commission
  • Guy Harles, Head of Unit Connectivity-Space, Ministry of State, Luxembourg
  • Lorenzo Miccinesi, Associate Legal Counsel IRIS², SES
  • Anna Masutti, Professor of Air and Space Law, University of Bologna

Together, they explored key questions such as:

  • the current status of IRIS² and the respective roles of SES, ESA, and EUSPA;
  • the legal and technical challenges surrounding the concession agreement;
  • how to ensure spectrum allocation and satellite registration;
  • and how to balance the needs of governmental users with the ambition to provide high-speed broadband to citizens across Europe, particularly in underserved regions.

The OSL Team had organized in the past a Webinar on the EU Regulation for Space Connectivity. New opportunities in space cooperation between Europe and Africa.

IRIS² represents a decisive step forward in Europe’s space strategy, building on the foundations of GOVSATCOM while significantly expanding its scope. Its ambition is to provide the Union and its Member States with secure, sustainable, and resilient connectivity – not only for governmental users and EU institutions, but also for critical infrastructures, civil protection, humanitarian operations, and, ultimately, European citizens.

At the heart of the programme lies a multi-orbit satellite constellation of around 290 satellites in LEO, MEO, and GEO, supported by secure ground stations across Member States. The system will be rolled out in phases: by 2025, initial governmental services will be provided using existing capacities through GOVSATCOM; and by 2030, IRIS² is expected to reach full operational capability with an EU-owned infrastructure.

The programme is designed to ensure secure communications for defence and security operations, provide backup connectivity in case of cyber warfare or natural disasters, and strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy in space.

Implementation is guided by a complex governance model: the European Commission retains overall responsibility; EUSPA provides technical and operational support and may take on management of certain components; ESA plays a central role in research, development, and validation – supported by a €380 million budget and a 12-year contribution agreement with the Commission; and the SpaceRise consortium – led by Eutelsat, SES, and Hispasat, together with a core team of European industry leaders – will design, deploy, and operate the constellation under a 12-year concession contract signed in December 2024. Member States, for their part, remain central to defining access, use, and security requirements.

Finally, the Council Decision on the security of space systems and services, amended in 2023, extends its scope to IRIS², ensuring that the Council and the High Representative have the authority to intervene should threats arise.

With these elements in mind, the Panel explored key questions. The discussion helped to better understand not only the status quo of IRIS² but also its outlook as a cornerstone of Europe’s secure connectivity and space resilience in the coming decades.

2025 09 18 14.16.46
2025 09 18 14.16.59 1
2025 09 18 14.16.52
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