Europe intends to compete with Elon Musk's SpaceX. It is reportedly planning to launch its own satellite megaconstellation.
Europe to Have Its Own Version of SpaceX's Starlink
A European constellation that will deliver internet connectivity from low-Earth orbit and resemble SpaceX's contentious Starlink megaconstellation is currently being planned.
To compete with SpaceX's Starlink system, a proposed satellite constellation will receive bids from many of Europe's most significant space and telecommunications companies, Space.com reported.
Various businesses, including Airbus Defense and Space, Eutelsat, SES, and Thales Alenia Space, announced they are working together in response to the European Commission's request to help develop a future European satellite constellation.
The Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity, and Security by Satellite (IRIS2) constellation, unveiled in late 2022, will offer the European Union internet connectivity from low-Earth orbit, a service comparable to that provided by SpaceX's ever-expanding constellation of Starlink satellites.
The EU currently estimates the cost of Iris2 to be around USD 6.6 billion (or 6 billion euros), according to a story this week from Ars Technica. The projected constellation may be operational by 2027, the EU hopes.
The project will receive USD 2.64 billion (2.4 billion euros) from the European Union (EU), with further financing expected from the European Space Agency and outside sources.
According to Thierry Breton, the European Union's commissioner for the internal market, IRIS2 sets up space as a vector of our European autonomy, connectivity, and resilience. It strengthens Europe's position as a real space power with a distinct goal and a sense of purpose.
The proposed megaconstellation, according to the communication oligopolies Deutsche Telekom, Hispasat, OHB, Orange, Hisdesat, and Telespazio, will entice startups in the European space sector to join the alliance. This satisfies Breton's aspirations, who has stated a desire to expand the European commercial space industry and has expressed the hope that startups will construct 30% of the Iris2 infrastructure.
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What Is Satellite Megaconstellations
A satellite mega-constellation is a collection of artificial satellites that work in unison to cover a sizable portion of the planet or even the entire land mass. Mega-constellations of satellites are situated in the planet's outer atmosphere and are linked to one another using inter-satellite communication technologies to provide worldwide communications coverage, according to AnalyticsSteps.
Satellite megaconstellations operate on the principle of low earth orbit (LEO), which is the positioning of satellite orbits at a low altitude (2000km). They are visible to many stations stationed on Earth. A satellite megaconstellation is a group of satellites near one another spinning on different orbits.
Leo satellite constellations are present in space, and circle orbits less than or equal to 2000 km in altitude. Although the idea of massive satellite constellations has been popular since the 1990s, it wasn't until the 21st century that constellations were built in orbit.
Satellite megaconstellations are about to gain popularity in the upcoming years, residing in the space cavity already crowded with such constellations.
Megaconstellations of satellites, primarily used in the telecommunications industry, are of enormous commercial relevance for worldwide connectivity and internet services. These networks allow a group of satellites to be seen because a satellite mega-constellation requires more than four satellites to form.
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