Spain has officially approved a budget of between €1.6 billion and €2 billion, equivalent to up to $2.3 billion, to build a national satellite communications system as part of the European IRIS2 orbital network, making it the largest national contributor to the project.
IRIS2, which stands for Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite, is designed to provide secure satellite communications for government and military users across EU member states. The network is being developed by the SpaceRISE consortium, which includes operators SES, Eutelsat and Hispasat alongside major European aerospace companies.
Spain’s programme covers its own space segment, ground control infrastructure, user terminals and ongoing operations. The national infrastructure will be compatible with IRIS2 but remain under Spanish control.
The full IRIS2 constellation is planned to include 290 satellites in low and medium Earth orbits. First launches are scheduled for 2029, with full deployment not expected before 2030.
