The European Union Governmental Satellite Communications programme (GOVSATCOM) is a long-awaited part of a wider EU strategy and the first step in satellite connectivity, the European Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, told Euronews.
He noted that, realistically, the Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite (IRIS²) — the EU's more ambitious project, a multi-orbital constellation of 290 satellites — will only be operational by "around 2029”.