Europe's Iris2 constellation adds 66 early-delivery satellites, to launch in 2029, to mitigate delay in full-performance network

Europe's Iris2 constellation adds 66 early-delivery satellites, to launch in 2029, to mitigate delay in full-performance network

PARIS — Europe’s Iris2 multi-orbit secured connectivity network, facing pressure from European governments to limit it schedule delays, is adding 66 smaller satellites to its low-Earth-orbit component to assure launches starting in 2029, with the full-capacity, 264-satellite system to be launched around 2032, according to European government and industry officials. Both groups of satellites will be launched into the same 1,200-km orbit. The earl…