Key points
- Europe moves toward a faster review of its SpaceX rival
- What Airbus, Thales, and Leonardo would combine
- How Starshield restrictions affected Ukrainian forces
The European Commission is preparing to speed up its review of a plan to combine the satellite businesses of Airbus, Thales, and Leonardo into a European rival to SpaceX (SPCX), Bloomberg reported.
The project, called Bromo, has yet to be formally submitted for antitrust approval. The Commission expects a filing in the coming weeks, with the review's timing depending on how the companies address competition concerns.
The report came the same week Ukrainian forces ran into limits on Starshield, SpaceX's military satellite service. White House officials told Pentagon leaders to limit the service, Reuters reported on Oct. 15. A senior US official said, "No such request was ever made by the president."
A fast review depends on what the companies offer
The three companies have discussed possible competition concerns with EU officials over the past year, so they can address them before filing. If they offer concessions, such as selling some assets, the deal could clear in a first-phase review of a little over a month. If concerns remain, the Commission could open an in-depth investigation lasting several months.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has backed the project. "These are the types of industrial champions we need if Europe is to lead in the space economy of tomorrow," she said at the International Space Summit in Paris in September, a summit SpaceX skipped.
The companies first announced the plan on Oct. 23, 2025. Airbus would own 35% of the new company, and Leonardo and Thales would own 32.5% each. The combined business would employ about 25,000 people. The businesses together generated about 6.5 billion euros in revenue in 2024, based on the companies' combined figures. The companies said it would cover everything from space infrastructure to services, "excluding space launchers," and could be operating in 2027.
Starshield limits hit Ukrainian drone units
Ukraine's 7th Rapid Response Corps said the Starshield package used by Ukraine's military previously worked without restrictions tied to how fast the terminals were moving. After the restrictions, terminals disconnected when drones went faster than 160 kilometers an hour, and sometimes at 80, Ukrainian officials said, according to Euromaidan Press. One unit had to cancel some missions.
On Oct. 16, UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had assured him that Starlink was back up and running. Streeting's comment, as reported, referred to Starlink rather than Starshield. A Ukrainian Defense Ministry source said the military-grade terminals were working in motion again, but only at speeds of up to 160 kilometers an hour.
SpaceX shares were down 2.2% at $145.39 as of 1:32 p.m. ET on Friday, after falling for three straight sessions through Thursday.
