UK, Norway, and Ukraine Could Join EU’s IRIS² Satellite Network
Non-EU countries, including the United Kingdom, Norway, and Ukraine, may be allowed to join the European Union’s secure satellite communications network, IRIS², which aims to provide a strategic alternative to SpaceX’s Starlink.
The Gaze reports this, referring to Euractiv.
The statement came from EU Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius.
Kubilius confirmed that Norway is already in talks with the European Commission regarding participation in the program. However, neither the UK nor Ukraine has officially started negotiations yet.
When asked whether non-EU states could join the initiative, the commissioner responded: “I would not be opposed.”
He highlighted the UK’s strong achievements in the space sector and Ukraine’s significant potential, noting its legacy as a major aerospace hub during the Soviet era.
Iceland, which is part of the European Economic Area like Norway, finalized negotiations with the EU earlier this month to participate in IRIS².
The program, with an estimated budget of €10.6 billion, aims to deploy around 280 satellites in the 2030s, providing Europe with greater autonomy in satellite communications amid growing concerns about Starlink’s market dominance.
In parallel, the European Commission recently signed a framework contract with the SpaceRISE consortium to build IRIS², which is planned to include approximately 290 satellites.
Kubilius also mentioned a new EU Space Law currently under discussion. The proposed regulations, once adopted, could restrict foreign companies such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX from easy access to the European market.
The EU commissioner stressed there has been no backlash from the United States so far: “For the time being, I received no hints that the Americans will react to the EU Space Act,” he said.
As The Gaze reported earlier, on July 25, Starlink systems, heavily relied upon by Ukrainian military units for communications, were out of service for approximately two and a half hours.