ESA gets the job of building Europe's secure satcomms network
(2023/09/22)
- Reference: 1695360675
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2023/09/22/esa_wins_iris2_satellite_contract/
- Source link:
The European Space Agency has signed up to build and launch the European Union's Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite constellation.
The project, known as IRIS 2 , has been on the books since [1]2022 , when the European Union found €2.4 billion (£2.1bn, $2.55bn) to fund the effort aimed at giving the bloc's members secure space-based comms capabilities and freeing them from reliance on other nations' infrastructure.
In July 2023 European commissioner for competition Margrethe Vestager [2]described IRIS 2 as an effort to "deliver our safe internet from space."
[3]
"As cyber and hybrid threats are multiplying, it will ensure secure and high-speed communication for civilian and defence use, relying on disruptive technologies like quantum encryption and 5G," she added.
[4]
[5]
Which sounds great – except for the fact that Europe hadn't yet found anyone to build it.
[6]Airbus to help with International Space Station replacement
[7]Farewell, Aeolus: Doomed ESA weather sat reenters atmosphere over Antarctica
[8]ESA sees satellite-based air traffic monitoring on near horizon
[9]India lands Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on Moon, is the first to lunar south pole
On Thursday the European Space Agency (ESA) [10]named itself as having signed a twelve-year agreement under which it "will work with space companies in the EU to develop and validate in orbit the Iris 2 constellation, on behalf of the European Commission."
The European Commission has previously [11]described its "ambition" for initial services to come online in 2024, and full operational capacity in 2027.
Both deadlines appear unlikely.
[12]
It's not hard to see one reason why: the ESA currently lacks a working heavy launch vehicle, as its Ariane 5 [13]flew its last mission in July 2023.
Its successor, Ariane 6, was recently [14]subjected to a hot firing test of its main stage.
Preparation for its next test is not going well. On Thursday the ESA [15]revealed "an anomaly was detected affecting the hydraulic group of the thrust vector control system." Work is under way to fix that ahead of a test that must take place before October 3.
[16]
If Ariane 6 isn't ready on time, Arianespace's Vega launchers may be another option if the IRIS 2 sats can be kept under about 2,200kg apiece.
Europe also has obvious alternative candidates to design, build and launch IRIS 2 – Airbus and Thales both have relevant expertise and are European operations. ®
Get our [17]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2022/11/21/eu_reaches_agreement_on_satellite_iris/
[2] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/speech_23_3709
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZQ1lwxMnL-Phmln0bZXkPgAAANM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZQ1lwxMnL-Phmln0bZXkPgAAANM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZQ1lwxMnL-Phmln0bZXkPgAAANM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2023/08/03/airbus_voyager_space_iss_jv/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2023/08/01/esa_aeolus_satellite/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2023/07/26/esa_awards_contract_for_demo/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2023/08/23/india_chandrayaan3_moon/
[10] https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Corporate_news/ESA_works_with_EU_on_secure_connectivity
[11] https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/welcome-iris2-infrastructure-resilience-interconnectivity-and-security-satellite-2022-11-17_en
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZQ1lwxMnL-Phmln0bZXkPgAAANM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2023/07/04/ariane_5_final_launch/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2023/09/05/ariane_6_test/
[15] https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Ariane/Ariane_6_joint_update_report_21_September_2023
[16] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZQ1lwxMnL-Phmln0bZXkPgAAANM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[17] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
The project, known as IRIS 2 , has been on the books since [1]2022 , when the European Union found €2.4 billion (£2.1bn, $2.55bn) to fund the effort aimed at giving the bloc's members secure space-based comms capabilities and freeing them from reliance on other nations' infrastructure.
In July 2023 European commissioner for competition Margrethe Vestager [2]described IRIS 2 as an effort to "deliver our safe internet from space."
[3]
"As cyber and hybrid threats are multiplying, it will ensure secure and high-speed communication for civilian and defence use, relying on disruptive technologies like quantum encryption and 5G," she added.
[4]
[5]
Which sounds great – except for the fact that Europe hadn't yet found anyone to build it.
[6]Airbus to help with International Space Station replacement
[7]Farewell, Aeolus: Doomed ESA weather sat reenters atmosphere over Antarctica
[8]ESA sees satellite-based air traffic monitoring on near horizon
[9]India lands Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on Moon, is the first to lunar south pole
On Thursday the European Space Agency (ESA) [10]named itself as having signed a twelve-year agreement under which it "will work with space companies in the EU to develop and validate in orbit the Iris 2 constellation, on behalf of the European Commission."
The European Commission has previously [11]described its "ambition" for initial services to come online in 2024, and full operational capacity in 2027.
Both deadlines appear unlikely.
[12]
It's not hard to see one reason why: the ESA currently lacks a working heavy launch vehicle, as its Ariane 5 [13]flew its last mission in July 2023.
Its successor, Ariane 6, was recently [14]subjected to a hot firing test of its main stage.
Preparation for its next test is not going well. On Thursday the ESA [15]revealed "an anomaly was detected affecting the hydraulic group of the thrust vector control system." Work is under way to fix that ahead of a test that must take place before October 3.
[16]
If Ariane 6 isn't ready on time, Arianespace's Vega launchers may be another option if the IRIS 2 sats can be kept under about 2,200kg apiece.
Europe also has obvious alternative candidates to design, build and launch IRIS 2 – Airbus and Thales both have relevant expertise and are European operations. ®
Get our [17]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2022/11/21/eu_reaches_agreement_on_satellite_iris/
[2] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/speech_23_3709
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZQ1lwxMnL-Phmln0bZXkPgAAANM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZQ1lwxMnL-Phmln0bZXkPgAAANM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZQ1lwxMnL-Phmln0bZXkPgAAANM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2023/08/03/airbus_voyager_space_iss_jv/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2023/08/01/esa_aeolus_satellite/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2023/07/26/esa_awards_contract_for_demo/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2023/08/23/india_chandrayaan3_moon/
[10] https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Corporate_news/ESA_works_with_EU_on_secure_connectivity
[11] https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/welcome-iris2-infrastructure-resilience-interconnectivity-and-security-satellite-2022-11-17_en
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZQ1lwxMnL-Phmln0bZXkPgAAANM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2023/07/04/ariane_5_final_launch/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2023/09/05/ariane_6_test/
[15] https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Ariane/Ariane_6_joint_update_report_21_September_2023
[16] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZQ1lwxMnL-Phmln0bZXkPgAAANM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[17] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
"relying on disruptive technologies like quantum encryption"
So, the EU is going to find a few more billions to get that quantum computer that can make the quantum encryption, I take it.
Because at this point in time, quantum computers are still lab creatures, you can't buy one on Amazon.
So I look forward to hearing about how all those pesky quantum computer issues have been solved by 2024 to make this possible.
Not holding my breath though.