IRIS2: Ground station for EU satellite internet comes to Germany

A network node that will be used to provide and control satellite-based communication services for safety-critical applications in the EU will be located in Cologne. This was decided by the EU Commission. It is the so-called Govsatcom hub for the planned "Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite" (IRIS2). This constellation for high-availability broadband internet is in turn based on the EU's older Govsatcom program for linking and sharing satellite services between member states.

As a central ground infrastructure, the Govsatcom hub is intended to enable resilient and disruption-free communication for authorities, civil protection and other public institutions –, especially in crisis situations. It is a data hub for the long-term operational phase of IRIS2. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) and numerous international partners such as branches of the European Space Agency (ESA) are already based in Cologne. According to the North Rhine-Westphalian government, "with its unique infrastructure, it offers ideal conditions for the integration" of the hub.

In order to bring the ground station to Germany, the federal government, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the DLR worked closely together, according to the Federal Ministry of Economics, which is responsible for the project. The NRW government agreed to cover the costs of up to 50 million euros for the construction of a building on site. In future, the hub for Govsatcom will be used to control and coordinate the supply and demand of all central services of the new EU satellite system. According to the plan, it will serve as the central point for the allocation and interconnection of all communication routes available via the artificial earth satellites involved.

Encrypted quantum communication via Govsatcom

In the medium to long term, the hub will also take over the planning and control of new quantum communication services via satellites as part of the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI) initiative. Among other things, the EU is promoting innovative processes for quantum cryptography. The EuroQCI ground segment will be based on fiber optic networks connecting strategic locations in EU countries on a national and cross-border level. The associated space segment is planned as an integral part of IRIS2. EuroQCI is designed to protect European government institutions, their data centers, hospitals, energy grids and other critical infrastructures and is one of the key pillars of the EU's cyber security strategy for the coming decades.

The IRIS2 program itself is currently one of the EU's most important space projects. The Starlink alternative is intended to guarantee European state requirements in line with the desired digital sovereignty and at the same time be commercially viable, for example by closing gaps in broadband communication.

Important contribution to technological sovereignty

The Commission awarded the contract for the construction, deployment and operation of IRIS2 to the Spacerise consortium at the end of October. It consists mainly of the three European satellite network operators SES, Eutelsat and Hispasat, which are actually competitors. The alliance is to be based on a core team of European subcontractors from all segments of the satellite and communications ecosystem. These primarily include Thales Alenia Space, the Bremen-based space company OHB, Airbus, Telespazio, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Hisdesat and Thales Six. The Commission signed the initial €10.6 billion contract with Spacerise in mid-December, officially launching the program, which is to include a network of 290 satellites for broadband coverage in medium and low orbits by 2030.

NRW Minister President Hendrik Wüst (CDU) welcomed the decision. This "once again underlines the outstanding importance of North Rhine-Westphalia as a central location for aerospace in Europe". The Luna training and technology center for astronauts was already opened in Cologne in 2024. Now the participation in IRIS2 will follow. Both showed: "The path to space leads through North Rhine-Westphalia." Anna Christmann (Greens), Space Coordinator of the Federal Government, added that by operating the hub, Germany would be making "a decisive contribution to Europe's technological and security policy sovereignty".

(nie)