A European space giant against Starlink

TOP STORY

Airbus, Thales and Leonardo are set to create a European space giant. Yesterday, the three groups signed an agreement to merge their satellite activities into a joint company based in Toulouse, France. The entity, expected to be operational by 2027, will have 25,000 employees and generate revenue of around €6.5 billion. The aim is to strengthen Europe's strategic autonomy in the face of American domination, particularly that of Starlink, Elon Musk's satellite network.

The capital will be divided between Airbus (35%), Leonardo and Thales (32.5% each). The project promises synergies of several hundred million euros per year in the medium term, thanks to the pooling of engineering, production and services. The executives hope to gain competitiveness in a rapidly changing market, where constellations of small satellites are gradually replacing large geostationary spacecraft.

This transformation is directly linked to the rise of Starlink, which has already put more than 10,000 low-altitude satellites into orbit since 2019. This model has disrupted the balance of the space industry, prompting European operators — from Eutelsat to the European Commission's future IRIS² constellation — to review their strategies.

For manufacturers, the timing is right: institutional demand is exploding, driven by defence, secure connectivity and observation needs. According to the Novaspace consultancy, 43,000 satellites are expected to be launched within the next ten years, representing a market worth $665 billion (€570 billion).

But the project is also raising concerns. The CGT-Métallurgie trade union has denounced the "creation of a monopoly" aimed at imposing prices and weakening public agencies such as CNES and ESA. Brussels may also take a close look at the deal: the European competition authority could impose divestitures or restrictions to prevent one player from becoming too dominant over smaller competitors such as OHB and The Exploration Company.

IN SHORT

🇫🇷 France - 🇬🇱 Greenland • Eutelsat and Tusass have signed an enhanced agreement to deploy OneWeb's low-latency connectivity services (owned by the French group Eutelsat) across Greenland. This alliance will expand secure internet access, improve coverage of critical infrastructure and support mobility, the maritime sector and emergency response. OneWeb, already proven in the Arctic, was chosen over Elon Musk's Starlink to ensure digital resilience and communications sovereignty.

🇧🇪 Belgium - 🇺🇦 Ukraine • Belgium has been reluctant to use frozen Russian assets to finance aid to Ukraine, fearing reprisals from Moscow, such as the seizure of Belgian companies. Prime Minister Bart De Wever has called for risk sharing and a solid legal basis, stressing that acting without transparency would expose his country. European leaders have mandated the Commission to present new secure proposals by December.

🇫🇷 France - 🇮🇱 Israel • Three French soldiers, including a colonel, have been deployed to Kiryat Gat to participate in the US-run Civilian-Military Coordination Centre, which aims to monitor the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Having arrived recently, they join 200 American soldiers as well as British and Canadian teams. The French presence supports the American initiative and paves the way for possible participation in an international stabilisation force, under a UN mandate and without French troops on the ground.

🇺🇸 United States • Six men were killed during a strike carried out last night against a boat carrying suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean, on the orders of President Trump. The vessel was linked to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which Washington has designated a terrorist organisation. This operation is part of a series launched in September to combat drug trafficking, which has already seen ten strikes and at least 43 deaths. These strikes are most likely illegal.

🇪🇭 Western Sahara - 🇲🇦 Morocco - 🇩🇿 Algeria • The Polisario Front has said it is prepared to accept Moroccan-proposed Sahrawi autonomy, provided that a referendum is held. This gesture paves the way for negotiations supported by the United States, with recent backing from the United Kingdom and France. Russia's position remains unclear, while Algiers has yet to respond. The UN Security Council is set to address the issue on 30 October.

🇱🇹 Lithuania - 🇷🇺 Russia • Vilnius protested after two Russian military aircraft entered Lithuanian airspace by approximately 700 metres during a training exercise. The aircraft left Lithuanian airspace after 18 seconds, near Kybartai. Two Spanish NATO Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets were dispatched to the scene. Russia denied any violation, assuring that its flights had been conducted in accordance with the rules and without crossing any borders.

🇮🇪 Ireland • Irish voters were called upon today to elect their president in a poll marked by the Palestinian question and the reunification with Northern Ireland. Catherine Connolly, an independent candidate supported by the left, stood out for her commitment to Palestine, while Heather Humphreys, the centre-right candidate, emphasised her Protestant background. The results will be announced this weekend.

🇯🇵 Japan - Sanae Takaichi, the first female Prime Minister, reaffirmed before Parliament her priority of maintaining the alliance with the United States in the face of tensions in Asia. She announced that Japan would reach 2% of GDP in military spending by 2027. On immigration, Takaichi took a more moderate stance, acknowledging the need for foreign labour while maintaining a firm stance towards foreigners.

🇺🇸 United States - 🇨🇦 Canada • Donald Trump announced the immediate suspension of all trade negotiations with Canada in response to an Ontario-funded advertisement criticising US tariffs. The ad, quoting Ronald Reagan on the dangers of protectionism, was deemed misleading and interventionist by Washington. Tariffs on Canadian products, already raised to 35% in August, have hardened trade relations, while the Canadian government is attempting to diversify its markets and mitigate the crisis for its exporters.

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