ARQUIMEA leads PELICAN project to study secure connectivity and future-oriented IoT capabilities for IRIS²

• The European Space Agency project will explore a reconfigurable satellite solution designed to enhance the capabilities of the Low LEO layer of IRIS², enabling secure communications and IoT services with geolocation capabilities.

Madrid, September 17, 2026. – ARQUIMEA, a global technology company with more than 20 years of experience in the space sector, is leading the consortium responsible for PELICAN, a project for the European Space Agency (ESA) aimed at expanding the future capabilities of IRIS², the European Union’s secure satellite communications programme.

PELICAN will conduct a comprehensive mission analysis to define a satellite-based solution capable of expanding the capabilities of the IRIS², as a part of the IRIS² Low-LEO Pre-Operational and De-Risk Activities within the ESA Programme Related to EU Secure Connectivity. The proposed solution will enable secure communications and future-oriented Internet of Things (IoT) services with geolocation capabilities.

The project’s main technological potential lies in its reconfigurable approach, which will provide the flexibility needed to adapt the system to different missions, service requirements and operational scenarios. As consortium leader, ARQUIMEA will be responsible for mission analysis and systems engineering, as well as for the development of an RF-based intersatellite link and satellite platform design and integration. These activities will help define the mission architecture and technical requirements needed to support the future evolution of Europe’s secure satellite communications infrastructure.

 “Secure and resilient connectivity is fundamental to Europe’s resilience and strategic autonomy. ESA – hand-in-hand with the European Commission and industry – is therefore looking ahead, exploring the capabilities and technologies that can help Europe meet its future connectivity needs. The work we are launching today is an important part of that effort and will help shape the continued evolution of IRIS²,” said Laurent Jaffart, Director of ESA’s Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity.

“PELICAN brings together several of ARQUIMEA’s core capabilities, including mission analysis, systems engineering, satcom technology and spacecraft manufacturing. We are proud to lead this project and contribute to Europe’s secure and sovereign satellite communications” said Ferran Tejada, Managing Director of ARQUIMEA Space.

 

Extensive experience in satellite development and mission analysis

ARQUIMEA has more than two decades of experience in the space sector and has participated in over 220 missions for major space agencies, institutional organisations and international satellite manufacturers.

The company has extensive capabilities in mission analysis, space systems engineering and the design, manufacturing, integration and testing of satellites and critical satellite systems. Its technological portfolio includes satellite structures, thermal control systems, antennas, deployable systems, avionics, optical instruments, mechanisms and space-qualified microelectronics.

This combination of mission-level expertise, technological capabilities and industrial capacity enables ARQUIMEA to support space programmes throughout their complete lifecycle, from early mission definition and system design to manufacturing, integration, testing and in-orbit operation.

Through PELICAN, ARQUIMEA strengthens its position as a European industrial partner in the development of advanced satellite platforms and secure connectivity solutions. The project also reinforces the company’s contribution to Europe’s technological sovereignty and to the development of flexible, resilient and future-ready space infrastructure.

 

About ARQUIMEA

ARQUIMEA is a Spanish technology company operating globally in highly demanding sectors, including aerospace, defense, science industry and fintech.

With 20 years of experience, ARQUIMEA collaborates in the space sector with leading space agencies such as NASA, JAXA and ESA, as well as major traditional and New Space companies, internal consortia, universities and research centers.

Today, ARQUIMEA has become an integrated supplier with capabilities to develop and manufacture complete satellites, thermal systems, structures, deployable systems, avionics, microelectronics, and optical systems.

 

About ESA Programme Related to EU Secure Connectivity

Under the overall responsibility of the European Commission, IRIS² is a bold endeavour to build a space-based secure and resilient connectivity network that elevates Europe’s strategic autonomy and competitiveness, where and when it matters most. ESA acts on behalf of the European Commission as the qualification and validation authority for the governmental infrastructure of the Union Secure Connectivity Programme. It manages development and validation contracts supporting the initial space and ground segments, verifies end-to-end system, service, and security performance against EC requirements, and coordinates these activities with ESA’s own programme.

Within this programme, the IRIS² Low-LEO Pre-Operational and De-Risk Activities components provide a rapid and recurrent mechanism for validating potential new governmental services and associated mission concepts in orbit up to a pre-operational level, subject to successful maturation and later programme level decisions of integration into the operational EU IRIS² baseline.

Ultimately, these activities aim at contributing to the continued evolution and enhancement of IRIS2  services and capabilities, supporting Europe’s long-term leadership in space in an ever-changing world.

Learn more at: https://resilience.esa.int/esa-programme-related-to-eu-secure-connectivity-and-iris%C2%B2