IDAHO FALLS, Idaho - The European Commission has officially shaken hands with an industrial consortium on its secure connectivity constellation, and surprise, surprise: it's going to cost more and have more satellites. Because why do things simply when you can do them expensively?

The Commission announced Aug. 7 that it has completed negotiations with the SpaceRISE consortium on the IRIS² constellation, hitting a milestone it calls 'Rendezvous 1.' This is the space equivalent of getting past the awkward first date and deciding to move in together, except the moving-in costs €15.6 billion and involves 348 satellites.

SpaceRISE, led by satellite operators Eutelsat, Hispasat, and SES, was selected in December 2024 for a one-year design phase. At that time, IRIS² was supposed to have 18 satellites in medium Earth orbit (MEO) and 264 in high low Earth orbit (LEO) at about 1,200 kilometers up, plus 10 or more in a lower orbit for tech incubation. Now, the Commission is adding 66 more to the high-LEO shell, keeping the MEO at 18, and conveniently not mentioning the low-LEO shell - though Hispasat assures us it's still leading that part.

The extra high-LEO satellites will boost secure government services capacity by 60% within the EU and 54% outside it. EU Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius called this a 'faster-to-market constellation,' which is a bold claim given that launches still start in 2029, same as before. Faster to market, but not faster to launch. Classic.

And the price tag? It's gone from €10.6 billion in December 2024 to €15.6 billion ($18 billion) now - a 47% increase. The SpaceRISE consortium will chip in €4 billion, with the Commission and ESA covering the other €11.6 billion. Back in the early planning, they thought it might cost just €6 billion. Ah, optimism.

The Commission admits it'll need 'an additional investment in the program budget,' which will come from the next multiannual financial framework (2028 - 2034) and EU member states. Spain has already pledged €1.6 to €2 billion through a national military satellite system, and Poland will contribute about $750 million for six MEO and six LEO satellites. Because nothing says 'European unity' like a constellation that's growing in size and cost while the timeline stays put.