Space travel Airbus, Thales and Leonardo found European satellite giant
The European groups Airbus, Thales and Leonardo want to bundle their satellite and space activities in a joint company. They signed an agreement in principle on Thursday.
23.10.2025, 09:24
SDA
The aim of the project, called "Bromo", is to strengthen Europe's independence in space and to counter the growing competition from Elon Musk's US company Starlink and Chinese providers, as the three companies announced.
25,000 employees
The new joint venture is set to launch in 2027 and will be based in Toulouse in south-western France. It will employ around 25,000 people across Europe and generate a turnover of 6.5 billion euros.
The order backlog corresponds to more than three years' turnover, as Leonardo explained. Airbus will hold 35 percent of the new company, while Thales and Leonardo will each hold 32.5 percent. The management will take place "under joint control with balanced governance".
The merger comprises Airbus Space Systems and Space Digital from the Defense and Space division, Thales' space activities - including Thales Alenia Space, Telespazio and Thales SESO - as well as Leonardo's space division, including its interests in Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio.
Recently lost market share
The new company will act as a reliable partner for European governments in the development and implementation of national space programs. It will also strengthen Europe's sovereignty in telecommunications, navigation, earth observation, science and security and become "a leading European space player".
According to Thales, the project marks "a decisive step towards strengthening the European space ecosystem" - with the aim of promoting innovation, strategic autonomy and competitiveness.
The French Ministry of Finance welcomed the plans as "excellent news" and emphasized that the creation of a European satellite champion would enable greater investment in research and innovation in a strategically important sector.
Within five years, the partners expect synergy effects in the three-digit million range. The background to the merger is that the once leading European space companies have recently been losing market share and posting losses in global competition.
