RFI, SET, GO!
IRIS² arrives wrapped in the usual velvet language about resilience and autonomy, while the hardware list screams something closer to risk triage. SpaceRISE plants the flag and invites the industry to a carefully fenced picnic. Operators nod about sovereignty, then pocket the commercial upside like a vending machine that only accepts public money. The ground segment gets diced into four immaculate Lots so everyone can say they own a piece of the cathedral without admitting who pours the concrete. Cute trick.
You can apply for two Lots, not three, so no one outside the core gets near full-stack control. Non-negotiable NDA, because nothing says partnership like sign here and shush. The IT infrastructure and 5G core stay with the core team, naturally, so any outsider proposing a bold architecture will be bolting it onto a platform they do not control. Sovereignty, but gated. Shared risk, but curated. If you felt coffee creep toward your sinuses, that is the scent of privatized sovereignty blended with civil service incense.
