The European Commission and the SpaceRISE consortium signed an implementation agreement on August 6, 2026, in Brussels, moving the IRIS² satellite constellation from the planning phase into full-scale deployment.
The agreement, which the European Commission said concludes negotiations between the two parties, covers the rollout of what the EU describes as its flagship satellite constellation. Under the terms, IRIS²'s main constellation will grow to a total of 348 satellites, with 66 additional units placed in low Earth orbit as part of the expansion.
The European Space Agency will support the full-scale deployment, according to ESA.