Canada and the European Union signed a new chapter in space cooperation on Friday. The Canada EU space agreements — covering the EU’s Galileo satellite-navigation system and the IRIS² secure-satellite constellation — were signed October 30 in Montreal by Industry Minister Mélanie Joly and EU Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius, with Prime Minister Mark Carney, Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa looking on.
The Galileo track is the more immediate win. Under the deal, Canada will open formal negotiations on cooperation with the EU’s satellite-navigation system, including a partnership with Galileo’s High Accuracy Service — globally available since January 2023 — to improve positioning and navigation data across Canada and the high Arctic. The context matters: Canada’s Armed Forces currently rely on an encrypted U.S. military GPS signal, while Galileo operates its own encrypted Public Regulated Service that non-EU countries can only use under a formal agreement. So this is the opening of negotiations — not a completed access deal.
The IRIS² track is an administrative arrangement: a framework for dialogue and information-sharing on cooperation in the EU’s planned secure-communications constellation, IRIS² (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite). The system — roughly 290 satellites in low and medium Earth orbit, with first launches targeted for 2029 and initial services in 2030 — is designed to give governments, militaries and emergency services secure links during crises. Norway and Iceland signed similar IRIS² arrangements in March 2026.
The commercial layer followed the same day. MDA Space announced an agreement worth more than $100 million with Thales Alenia Space to build digital antennas in Montreal for the first 66 IRIS² satellites.
The space signings were part of the “Alliance for the Future” unveiled at the 21st Canada-EU Summit, alongside a digital trade deal and an EU-bank funding framework — but the Galileo and IRIS² moves are the summit’s most concrete technology bets, with real hardware and real satellites attached.
Read also: Canada-EU digital trade agreement concluded at Montreal summit and SpaceX Starlink launch October 27 puts 27 satellites in orbit
Bhudev Bhagaliya is an experienced and senior journalist who has carved a distinct niche for himself in the world of Hindi journalism through his profound understanding and precise writing style. With over two decades of experience in the field of journalism, he has held key responsibilities at Dainik Hindustan for 12 years and at Amar Ujala for one year. Currently, he serves as the Content Editor for the Jagrook Youth News newspaper and portal, where he plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality and credibility of the news content. Bhudev Bhagaliya consistently writes about issues that help raise awareness within society and among the younger generation.