Toward EU Sovereignty in Space: A Comparative Simulation Study of IRIS 2 and Starlink

TL;DR

This paper compares two satellite constellation architectures, Starlink and IRIS 2, evaluating their technical characteristics and performance tradeoffs for 6G satellite-based networks.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive simulation-based comparison of Starlink and IRIS 2, highlighting their design tradeoffs and suggesting future deployment extensions for IRIS 2.

Findings

Starlink offers high-capacity broadband with dense LEO satellites.

IRIS 2 provides a secure, resilient infrastructure with multi-layer satellite deployment.

Simulation results compare capacity, mobility impact, and global connectivity support.

Abstract

The evolution of 6th generation (6G) networks increasingly relies on satellite-based Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs) to extend broadband connectivity to remote and unserved regions, and to support public safety. In this paper we compare two representative and conceptually different satellite constellation architectures, namely Starlink and IRIS 2. Starlink is a commercial private Internet constellation by SpaceX, based on dense Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. It is primarily designed to deliver high-capacity broadband services for civil applications, with performance targets comparable to those of terrestrial networks. In contrast, IRIS 2 is a planned public initiative to be deployed by the European Union, based on a multi-layer combination of LEO, Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), and Geo-stationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites. It is primarily designed to provide a secure, resilient, and sovereign infrastructure for government and critical communications. After describing the main technical characteristics of Starlink and IRIS 2, we run a comprehensive simulation campaign to evaluate the design tradeoffs between the two. Specifically, we evaluate the per-cell and per-user achievable capacity, the impact of satellite mobility and handover, and identify the capability of each architecture to support global and reliable connectivity. We also provide design suggestions for possible future IRIS 2 deployment extensions.