In a bold move to rival Elon Musk's Starlink, Europe's leading aerospace companies Airbus, Thales, and Leonardo are collaborating on a new satellite venture named Project Bromo.
Inspired by the Indonesian volcano, Project Bromo aims to establish a standalone European satellite champion modeled after missile maker MBDA, which is co-owned by Airbus, Leonardo, and BAE Systems. According to sources familiar with the matter, the initiative seeks to combine satellite assets, fostering greater scale and competitiveness in a sector currently dominated by Starlink's rapid expansion in low Earth orbit.
Despite being in the early stages, the collaboration has advanced significantly, adopting a preferred structure that consolidates the partners' satellite capabilities. Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani confirmed to Reuters that the talks have involved extensive technical discussions, emphasizing that the intended framework aligns with the MBDA model.
“That's the one; it is hard that it can be anything else,” Cingolani remarked at an event in Rome. Meanwhile, Airbus and Thales have chosen not to comment on the developments.
The formation of Project Bromo is separate from upcoming job cuts slated for announcement this week and may take several years to fully implement. However, the initiative represents a strategic effort to revitalize Europe's struggling space sector and effectively compete on the global stage.
Traditionally focused on complex geostationary satellites, Europe's top satellite manufacturers have faced challenges from the influx of affordable tiny satellites in low Earth orbit. Cingolani highlighted that satellites are projected to constitute 75 percent of the space economy, underscoring the critical need for Europe to adapt and innovate.
Reference(s):
Space firms plot new European satellite venture to take on Starlink
cgtn.com
