11:21 AM EDT, 08/07/2026 (MT Newswires) -- The European Commission on Friday signed an agreement to launch the European Union's new flagship satellite constellation following the conclusion of its negotiations with the SpaceRISE consortium that began in January. Under the agreement, 66 satellites into low Earth orbit will be added to the Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite, or IRIS², program, according to a same-day release. The first launches of the additional satellites are expected by 2029, with the main constellation totaling 348 satellites. The increased capacity of the program is aimed at bolstering the bloc's capabilities for defense, security and emergency services. The SpaceRISE consortium comprises SES (SESG.PA), Eutelsat Communications (ETL.PA), and Hispasat, which is part of the Indra Sistemas (IDR.MC) group.

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