TAMPA, Fla. — European space giants are putting the final touches on a proposal for a sovereign broadband constellation they say is inspired by Starlink but will not be a copy of SpaceX’s network from across the Atlantic.
Executives from Airbus Defence and Space, Thales Alenia Space, and Arianespace — part of a group of companies developing the Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite (IRIS²) constellation, discussed the project Jan. 23 at the European Space Conference in Brussels.
Despite a looming mid-February deadline to submit their best and final offer to the European Commission, they were guarded about their proposal, including how the private sector would fund 60% of the 6 billion euro project ($6.5 billion) not covered by European Union members, not including potential cost overruns.
Francois Gaullier, senior vice president for constellations at manufacturer Airbus Defence and Space, said the objective for IRIS² is “to bring the same kind of services and capacity … as Starlink is doing today, but in a sovereign way.”
He said IRIS² would also be compatible with the 5G standards terrestrial telcos use, meaning the satellites could integrate with other communications systems, unlike Starlink, which operates within a closed network.
Sovereignty is a key element of the incoming proposal, added Marc-Henri Serre, senior vice president of telecommunications at manufacturer Thales Alenia Space. European governments could section off capacity from commercial users to prepare for spikes in demand.
Europe wants the ability to completely take over all the constellation’s capacity “in case of great crisis,” Catherine Kavvada, the European Commission’s director for secure and connected space, said on the panel.
Kavvada said Europe is also looking for a multi-orbit capability that pools in connectivity from geostationary and medium Earth orbit, tapping into existing investments and…
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