Is the IRIS2 programme already on life support?

Over the past two to three weeks, three seemingly significant obstacles have confronted Europe’s IRIS2 initiative to develop a sovereign secure communications service. Two may carry more noise than substance, but the third casts doubt on the long-term viability of the project.

Germany’s “Starlink-like” constellation

On 9 April, the German news outlet Handelsblatt reported that the German Armed Forces wanted to build a constellation "similar to Starlink." Despite this comparison being featured in the article's subheading, the similarity is less defined in the article itself. It instead states that the project would involve a network of several hundred satellites that "collectively perform a single task," with communications and Earth observation given as examples. Additionally, a quote from a Ministry of Defence spokesperson cites the need for space-based reconnaissance.

“Various options for the potential deployment of constellations are being explored to meet the growing demand for space…