What is IRIS², the European Union’s answer to Elon Musk’s Starlink?

With the space race once again heating up, the European Union recently announced that it has signed the contract for the Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite (IRIS²), a multi-orbital constellation of 290 satellites.

Developed in partnership with SpaceRISE, an alliance of leading European satellite operators and space companies, IRIS² may pose a serious threat to SpaceX’s Starlink internet service, which is currently available in more than 100 countries and territories worldwide.