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Area companies outline new European satellite venture to handle Starlink

Europe's Airbus, Thales and Leonardo are checking out plans to set up a new joint space company as they aim to compete with Elon Musk's Starlink.

Task Bromo, called after an Indonesian volcano, imagines a standalone European satellite champion designed on rocket maker MBDA, which is owned by Jet, Leonardo and BAE Systems, three people acquainted with the matter stated.

Previously, Europe's leading satellite makers have actually stated only that they are taking a look at working together to create higher scale in a sector spoiled by heavy losses, as the quick development of Elon Musk's Starlink network controls low Earth orbit.

But although still at an early stage, talks have progressed far enough to earn a code-name inside Jet and a preferred structure with a new business combining satellite assets, rather than one partner purchasing properties from the rest, individuals said.

Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani told Reuters the talks involved various technical conversations, and verified the desired structure would be based upon the MBDA model.

That's the one, it is tough that it can be anything else, he said on the sidelines of an event in Rome.

Airplane and Thales declined to comment.

The merger proposals are different from task cuts to be outlined by Airplane this week and might take years to execute, one source stated.

However together, they represent a multi-speed effort to bring Europe's struggling space sector into shape to face difficult competition.

(source: Reuters)