HispaSat confirms its commitment to Iris2, will be the prime contractor for the ground segment
• The SpaceRISE consortium, the European Commission, and the European Space Agency have defined the development and deployment plan for the European secure satellite communications system, which is set to enter service in 2030.
• HispaSat will be the first Spanish company to participate in the consortium overseeing a major European space project.
• It will be the prime contractor for the largest infrastructure of antennas, control systems, and connections to ground networks developed to date in Europe, representing an investment of 1.6 billion euros.
• HispaSat will have access to low-Earth orbit satellite communications for commercial and military applications in areas of high strategic value.
• HispaSat’s leadership in IRIS² drives Indra Group’s space strategy and strengthens Spain’s participation in the development of space capabilities critical to European strategic autonomy.
Madrid – The European Commission and the European Space Agency have concluded negotiations with the SpaceRISE consortium —comprising three operators: Eutelsat (French), HispaSat (Spanish) and SES (Luxembourg)— to launch the IRIS² constellation. One of the key decisions made was to designate HispaSat as the prime contractor for the antenna infrastructure, control systems and ground network connectivity, which will be the largest and most complex system developed to date in Europe for a space program, with a budget exceeding 1.6 billion euros. The Indra Group company will be the first Spanish firm to participate in the consortium managing a major European space project.
IRIS2 is the European program for secure satellite communications for commercial and military applications in areas of high strategic value. It is a public-private partnership between the European Commission and the European Space Agency, along with a consortium comprising the three leading European satellite operators —Eutelsat, HispaSat and SES. The total planned investment exceeds 15.6 billion euros and, according to the agreed-upon schedule, the first launches will take place in 2029. In the negotiations that have just concluded, an agreement was reached on the roadmap and the planned timeline for the development, production, and deployment of the 342 satellites that will make up the constellation, its ground support infrastructure and the services to be offered to government and commercial users.
Under the signed agreement, HispaSat, which operates under the Indra Space umbrella, will be the prime contractor for the ground segment (antenna infrastructure, control systems and connections to ground networks) for the entire constellation. In other words, this includes all the facilities necessary for the management and operation of the constellation’s various orbital layers, as well as the interconnection with ground networks, which will be located in multiple sites, ensuring compliance with the strict security and resilience requirements demanded by a government program.
In addition, HispaSat will lead the development of the system’s very low Earth orbit (Low LEO) layer, which will operate at altitudes below 750 km. Its importance lies in the fact that the most innovative missions will be carried out in this layer and will be interconnected with the rest of the system. This layer is designed to provide direct connectivity services to mobile devices (Direct-to-Device) and the Internet of Things (IoT), which represents the future of communications. This will provide access to the ecosystem of European startups and SMEs that are already developing cutting-edge space solutions.
The agreement also guarantees HispaSat access to non-geostationary orbits in regions of high strategic interest. In this way, it complements its range of capabilities and geographic coverage. To this end, HispaSat has committed to an investment of up to 600 million euros in exchange for obtaining exploitation rights in regions of high strategic interest and commercial value for the business it already operates through its geostationary fleet.
Luis Mayo, CEO of HispaSat, noted that “with the agreement reached between SpaceRISE, the European Commission, and European Space Agency, we are strengthening our position among the leaders of the European space industry and in its main business areas. We will lead the largest ground segment developed to date in a European Commission program and ensure access to low Earth orbit with the highest technological and safety standards, reinforcing our position as a multi-orbit operator and laying the foundation for the HispaSat of the future.”
A Safer and More Innovative European Space Sector
The European space strategy is built on three pillars: Earth observation through the Copernicus program; navigation and geolocation through the Galileo program; and, from now on, secure government communications through the IRIS2 program. It is, therefore, a flagship project of the European Union aimed at achieving an interconnected and secure Europe that guarantees its strategic autonomy. To achieve this, it will deploy a network of 330 new low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and 12 more in medium Earth orbit (MEO), which will begin providing their initial services in 2030.
One of the main innovations of IRIS2 is its funding model, which will be based on a public-private partnership. The three members of the SpaceRISE consortium will collectively contribute up to 4 billion euros to the program, which, added to the 11.6 billion euros in public investment from the European Commission and the European Space Agency (ESA), brings the total to 15.6 billion euros.
HispaSat’s commitment to a program such as IRIS2 strengthens the position of the Spanish space sector and complements the government’s recent announcement of a Special Modernization Program, with a budget of up to 2 billion euros, to finance an additional national contribution and ensure Spain’s satellite capabilities, including nationwide coverage and deployments of interest to its defense. HispaSat President Pedro Duque stated that “Spain is making a decisive contribution to Europe’s strategic autonomy in space communications, and HispaSat’s role in IRIS2 is proof of that. From the outset, we have been firmly committed to strengthening our secure communications and revitalizing the Spanish and European industrial sectors. The IRIS2 program addresses this dual need at a critical geopolitical moment, and we will ensure we provide the best possible response.”
A firm commitment
Hispasat’s leadership in IRIS² is also one of the first examples of the space strategy that the Indra Group is developing under the Indra Space brand. As part of this strategy, the technology corporation integrates secure communications, Earth observation, and navigation capabilities to meet Europe’s new security, defense, and connectivity needs. With this focus, the company is at the forefront of Earth observation programs using high-resolution radar imagery through the PAZ Program and enabling secure communications for security and defense applications on SpainSat NGI and NGIII. In addition, it is working on Robust PNT technologies, designed to ensure secure operations that will enable reliable navigation and time synchronization, even when satellite signals are being jammed, attacked, or degraded. Indra Space is thus spearheading the transformation taking place in the aerospace sector and enhancing the Spanish space industry’s capacity to assume leadership roles in major European programs.
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