ESA looks at “low LEO” Phase 2 of IRIS2
September 21, 2026

By Chris Forrester



The European Space Agency (ESA) has started its next phase of IRIS² evolution through Low-LEO activities. ESA says it has signed 18 consolidation contracts bringing together nearly 80 companies to study new secure and resilient connectivity services. The contracts also cover associated mission concepts and aim to shape the future of the EU’s secure connectivity constellation – IRIS² – which will provide Europeans with resilient communications, when and where it matters most.

The companies will develop relevant use cases and services, and trade-off different mission concepts as part of ESA’s Low-LEO (low Earth orbit) activities, helping to explore how IRIS² capabilities could evolve as new European needs emerge.


Signed on September 17th at the ESA European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) in Madrid, Spain, the agreements mark the start of a new phase of studies under the ESA Programme Related to EU Secure Connectivity. The services being explored are aimed at governmental users and range from secure governmental broadband, maritime operations and aviation to data relay and tasking, among others.

The ESA said: “These contracts will strengthen Europe’s industrial base while giving smaller and mid-sized companies opportunities to contribute to the development and validation of new secure connectivity services through the Low-LEO layer. The resulting capabilities could, subject to their successful maturation and future programme decisions, support a potential evolution of the main EU IRIS² system as user needs evolve.”

Amounting to a total of €20 million, the contracts were signed by Laurent Jaffart, ESA’s Director of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity, together with representatives from the participating industry teams, at an event attended by representatives of the European Commission.

“Space is evolving rapidly, and Europe needs to evolve with it. Low-LEO provides the opportunity to explore new ideas and capabilities, test them in practice and learn from the results. This ability to innovate, adapt and build on experience will be essential as we develop the next generation of secure and resilient connectivity for Europe. We look forward to continuing to work hand-in-hand with the European Commission and industry on the future of IRIS²,” added Jaffart.