EU Launches Govsatcom: Secure Satellite Communication for Governments

At the end of January, the European Union put its own satellite communication system Govsatcom into operation. The system is intended to grant all member states access to secure, encrypted satellite communication for government and military purposes. Currently, five EU countries (France, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Luxembourg) are providing eight satellites for operation. The infrastructure is built and operated entirely in Europe, under full EU control.

EU Commissioner Henna Virkkunen emphasized at the European Space Conference in Brussels: “Our security depends on our ability to stay connected, no matter the circumstances. GovSatCom is now ready to provide this vital link.” By building its own secure satellite services, the EU is breaking up dependencies and taking full control of its digital security.

Germany plays a central role in building European satellite sovereignty: The central Govsatcom hub is being built in Cologne-Porz on the grounds of the German Aerospace Center. North Rhine-Westphalia is investing 50 million euros in the infrastructure, which is intended to serve as the central interface to the planned IRIS² system.

Global expansion planned by 2027

The Govsatcom project is divided into three phases. In the current first phase, the system uses the eight existing satellites of the five participating member states. EU Space Commissioner Andrius Kubilius has announced that in Phase 2, starting in 2027, coverage and bandwidth are to be expanded worldwide. For this purpose, the EU intends to acquire new capacities from trusted commercial providers that must meet strict security standards.

The third phase, starting in 2029, envisages the integration of the EU satellite project IRIS². Kubilius explained: “Govsatcom is just the beginning. With it, Europe is decisively moving towards sovereign, secure satellite communication under full European control.” The military Ka-band frequencies of IRIS² have already been put into operation, enabling the provision of government services.

IRIS² as a long-term solution

IRIS² is designed as a comprehensive European satellite constellation to serve as an alternative to SpaceX's Starlink. The system will consist of 282 satellites in various orbits and is intended to provide not only military and governmental communication but also commercial internet services. The total costs amount to around 11 billion euros, of which 7 billion are from the EU and 4 billion from private partners.

The SpaceRISE consortium, consisting of SES, Eutelsat, Hispasat, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, and OHB, is responsible for its development. In addition, satellite operators Airbus, Leonardo, and Thales are planning a far-reaching merger of their space divisions to compete together against US competitors. The initial commissioning of IRIS² is planned for 2029, earlier than originally anticipated.

The EU sees Govsatcom and IRIS² as central building blocks of its digital sovereignty strategy. Especially against the backdrop of geopolitical tensions and Ukraine's dependence on Starlink during the war, Europe wants to ensure its own independent communication channels. Third countries such as Great Britain, Norway, and Ukraine have also already been invited to participate in IRIS².

(vza)