Indra’s Hispasat wins key IRIS2 contract

Hispasat has been appointed prime contractor for the terrestrial infrastructure of the European Union’s IRIS2 secure satellite programme in a contract valued at more than €1.6 billion. The Spanish satellite operator, which is 89.68% owned by Indra, will be responsible for designing, deploying and operating the ground segment. This includes antennas, control systems and ground links that will support the new Europe‑wide connectivity constellation.

The appointment gives Hispasat a central role in building and managing the terrestrial backbone that will connect users and terrestrial networks to the IRIS2 satellite system. By concentrating responsibility for antennas, ground control and links in a single contractor, the programme aims to coordinate the complex infrastructure needed for secure communications services across Europe.

Under the award, Hispasat will also lead the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) layer of IRIS2 that is focused on direct‑to‑device and Internet of Things connectivity. This role positions the company at the core of the segment designed to provide advanced mobile and machine‑to‑machine services. The LEO layer is expected to underpin applications ranging from secure government communications to commercial IoT solutions.

To support this mission, Hispasat has committed up to €600 million of investment to secure access to non‑geostationary orbits. This financial commitment underpins its leadership in the LEO component of the programme and aligns the company’s long‑term infrastructure plans with IRIS2’s technical architecture.

The IRIS2 programme has moved from planning into implementation under the European Commission and the SpaceRISE industrial consortium. The main constellation has been expanded by 66 satellites to reach a total of 348 units, comprising 330 satellites in Low Earth Orbit and 18 in Medium Earth Orbit. This architecture is designed to provide broad coverage and redundancy for secure communications services.

First IRIS2 launches are targeted for 2029, with progressive operational services expected from 2029 and 2030. The timeline reflects the scale of the project, which requires coordinated deployment of both space and ground segments. Hispasat’s ground‑segment contract is therefore tied to a multi‑year development and rollout plan across Europe.

Total investment for the IRIS2 programme is reported at about €15.6 billion. The project follows a public‑private financing model in which private operators that are members of the SpaceRISE consortium are expected to contribute up to around €4 billion. The remaining funding is to come from the European Union, the European Space Agency and member‑state public sources.

As the controlling shareholder of Hispasat, Indra has formally communicated the adjudication of the contract and the final terms of the negotiations to Spain’s securities regulator (CNMV. This notification confirms the financial relevance of the ground‑segment award within Indra’s overall business and marks a significant step in the implementation of the IRIS2 programme.