Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture formed by Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), has announced the signing of a Letter of Agreement with Eutelsat. This agreement designates Thales Alenia Space as the provider of governmental payloads for 330 IRIS² telecommunications satellites slated for Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
The initial tranche of the contract is valued at approximately 500 million euros. This forms part of a larger IRIS² program for Thales Alenia Space, which is projected to exceed 3 billion euros overall.
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Thales : The IRIS² Programme: Europe’s Secure Connectivity Initiative
The IRIS² (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite) constellation is central to Europe’s strategy for autonomous and secure space-based connectivity. The complete system will comprise 348 satellites, with 330 positioned in LEO at an altitude of 1,200 km, and an additional 18 in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) at 8,000 km.
The LEO segment includes 66 satellites dedicated to Ka-band communications and 264 designed for dual Ku/Ka-band functionality. These satellites are engineered to communicate via optical inter-satellite links, employing a multi-orbit architecture to enhance coverage and resilience.
IRIS² is intended to provide secure communication services for governmental entities, supporting applications such as civil protection, emergency management, security, and defense operations. It will also offer commercial business-to-business (B2B) services. Beyond its direct connectivity role, the constellation is expected to serve as a foundational infrastructure for other European space-based Earth observation and navigation systems, acting as a data transmission relay.
Technological Specifications
The dual-use IRIS² system prioritizes robust security and control over data. It will integrate native 5G capabilities and utilize payloads equipped with active antennas. This design aims to ensure precise signal pointing and optimize power delivery to designated regions.
This development underscores ongoing initiatives within the European space sector to strengthen strategic autonomy and digital infrastructure. For additional details on the company’s projects, visit the official Thales Alenia Space(https://www.thalesaleniaspace.com/en) website. Readers can also find the latest developments in satellite technology and space industry news on TechnoSports (https://technosports.co.in/).
