Britain, Norway and Ukraine, which are not part of the European Union, can join the EU's secure IRIS² satellite communications network, which is an alternative to Elon Musk's Starlink.
Points of attention
- Britain, Norway, and Ukraine, non-EU countries, may join the EU's secure IRIS² satellite communications network.
- The IRIS² project is positioned as a viable alternative to Elon Musk's popular Starlink network.
- The EU's IRIS² project, estimated to launch in the 2030s with around 280 satellites, could potentially challenge Starlink's market dominance.
Ukraine, Britain and Norway may join IRIS²
This was stated by Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius.
When asked whether non-EU countries could join the space program, Kubilius replied that he would not be against it.
According to him, Norway is already negotiating with the European Commission about joining IRIS², while Ukraine and the United Kingdom have not yet started negotiations.
The European Commissioner added that Britain has significant achievements in the space industry, and Ukraine has considerable potential, as it was a key space center in Soviet times.
Iceland, which, like Norway, is part of the European Economic Area, completed negotiations with the European Commission earlier this month on participating in IRIS².
Amid widespread concerns about the level of dominance of the Starlink satellite group in the space telecommunications market, the IRIS² network, which is expected to cost €10.6 billion and consist of around 280 satellites when launched in the 2030s, could take over market share.
A draft EU Space Law was presented a few weeks ago, and has already sparked intense backroom negotiations. Its provisions could prevent companies like Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which provide satellite services, from gaining access to consumers in the future. However, it will take several years for the legislation to be finally approved.
Kubilius stated that there has been no negative reaction to the project so far.
So far, I have not received any hints that the Americans will react to the EU Space Law.
Andrius Kubilius
European Commissioner for Defence and Space
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