The EU has launched an bold €10bn (£8.3bn) area programme with a constellation of 290 satellites to rival Elon Musk’s Starlink, additional widening the post-Brexit safety hole with the UK.
The constellation is meant to make sure the bloc’s safety for governments and armies amid rising international issues over cybersecurity.
Officers mentioned the UK had not made any request to be a part of the Iris2 venture, which is able to supply sublease communications capability for business use as a substitute for Musk’s Starlink community.
“It’s a important step in direction of Europe’s sovereignty and safe connectivity,” an EU assertion mentioned.
Technological advances imply the community of high- and lower-powered satellites will present the equal of 1,000 satellites in a “mega constellation” just like Starlink.
Europe has been served by a mixture of state-licensed satellite tv for pc networks offering protection from Eire to japanese Europe. The networks allow TV and web in addition to defence, climate and border surveillance features.
Earlier than Brexit, the UK was a part of an EU area programme, with British armed forces attributable to have entry to the Galileo satellite tv for pc community from subsequent yr.
Nonetheless the British authorities severed ties with the programme and concluded throughout Brexit negotiations that it might be within the UK’s pursuits to develop a rival to Galileo involving two satellites.
The UK community contains Tyche, the Earth-imaging army satellite tv for pc which was launched in August. Final month the federal government mentioned a brand new satellite tv for pc, Juno, could be launched in 2027 to “seize daytime pictures of the Earth’s floor” thereby “strengthening the UK’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance” capabilities.
Requested if the UK could be concerned within the Iris2 programme, given its widespread pursuits in defence and safety and Keir Starmer’s pledge to reset relations with the EU, a senior official mentioned there had been no such request.
“At this stage we’ve got not acquired any signal or manifestation of curiosity from our UK companions,” they added.
Underneath EU guidelines, a 3rd nation can take part by having a business settlement for surveillance or cybersecurity providers with any of the three operators of the satellites. The operators are Eutelsat, the European-wide community of former telecommunications-only satellites; SES, the Luxembourg-owned satellite tv for pc community that delivers Sky TV and different TV providers to the UK; and Hispasat, the Spanish satellite tv for pc operator.
Third occasion international locations are additionally permitted to decide to turn out to be a “full member” of the programme, contributing funding.
After Galileo and Copernicus, Iris2 is the EU’s third flagship satellite tv for pc programme designed to handle long-term challenges, deepened within the final three years by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and alleged cyberattacks in a number of European international locations.
It’s going to contain two sorts of satellites that function in medium Earth orbit and low Earth orbit.
Underneath the 12-year programme the primary communications, each authorities and business, are anticipated to start in 2030.
Key corporations concerned within the programme embody all the highest European, however not British, area business gamers, together with Airbus Defence and House, Deutsche Telekom, France’s Thales Alenia House and Italy’s Telespazio.
The UK authorities has been approached for remark.
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