en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Spanish government has announced it will allocate between €1.6 billion and €2 billion ($1.8 billion–$2.3 billion) to develop a national military satellite communications constellation. The constellation could be integrated into the EU's planned IRIS² multi-orbit satellite internet constellation.
The project, under the name "Special Modernization Program for Multi-Orbit Satellite Communications," was presented on July 29 at a meeting of Spain's National Committee for Technological Security and Sovereignty. This committee is a government body, and at the meeting, the Ministry of Defense discussed 15 new Special Modernization Programs (SMPs) for 2026, as well as a national low Earth orbit capability program planned to launch in 2027.
According to Spanish Ministry of Defense documents, the funding will be used for "the development of the space segment, the ground control and management segment, and the operation of the system throughout its entire lifecycle." Spanish officials have disclosed the number of satellites for the constellation.
Andrius Kubilius, the EU's Commissioner for Defense and Space, praised Madrid's decision, noting that it comes at a time of growing interest among EU member states in participating in EU initiatives.
The IRIS² constellation is designed to secure EU government satellite communications while also supporting high-speed internet broadband coverage and the elimination of connectivity gaps across the EU. It is widely regarded as the EU's response to SpaceX's Starlink. Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez first announced Spain's intention to co-fund IRIS² in May; at the 2026 Space Conference held in Madrid, he stated that Spain could become "a benchmark in the European space sector," with its space industry "growing continuously."
Sánchez stated that the initiative represents "a major opportunity for the development and consolidation of the national industrial value chain, both in satellite manufacturing and in the ground segment," as well as "tangible progress for Europe in achieving true space sovereignty, in line with its ambition to achieve sovereignty in future strategic domains." He also noted that Spain's space industry revenue reached approximately €1.5 billion in 2025, creating nearly 8,000 high-skilled jobs.
Days before Spain's announcement, Poland also announced an investment of approximately 2.8 billion Polish zloty ($749 million) in the IRIS² program. The Polish government stated that, like Spain, Poland will fund the construction of 6 MEO satellites, 6 LEO satellites, and a gateway ground station. Polish Minister of Interior and Administration Marcin Kierwiński said that participation in IRIS² could bring business opportunities to more than 400 companies in Poland's space sector.
According to data from the European Commission's Directorate-General for Defense Industry and Space, the IRIS² program totals €10.6 billion and is expected to reach full operational capability by 2030, when it will offer a full range of services. The constellation will consist of approximately 292 satellites, with 18 deployed in MEO, 264 in higher low Earth orbit, and 10 in lower low Earth orbit.
