Three European aerospace and defense giants announced a partnership to rival Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet network.
Europe has been hungry for a homegrown alternative to Starlink, which dominates the sector — the service has been vital to Ukrainian troops in the war against Russia, and fears of a possible shutdown accelerated Europe’s space ambitions.
French President Emmanuel Macron said in June that space “has in some way become a gauge of international power.”
The new partnership between Airbus, Leonardo, and Thales is “the first tangible evidence of Europe addressing its waning technological sovereignty since the start of the second Trump administration,” one analyst told CNBC.