European competition for Musk
16 December 2024
European companies Airbus, Thales, and Leonardo want to compete with Elon Musk's internet satellite company Starlink, which offers global broadband access. To break its dominance, the firms said they set up a new initiative together under the codename 'Project Bromo', named after an Indonesian volcano.
Europe's space sector is struggling. Early this year, it was reported that Thales and Airbus were both planning to cut thousands of jobs in their space divisions. European satellite makers have traditionally focused on more complex devices but now face the competition of cheap tiny satellites such as those made by Starlink.
 | Luc de Klerk Europe is self-interested in controlling its communication networks – and it shouldn't depend too much on somebody like Elon Musk. An example from Ukraine shows what relying on Starlink for communication means: According to Musk's biography, he once ordered the system to be turned off because he believed Ukraine 'was going too far' in the war. |
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