EU races to break dependence on Musk with SpaceX alternative — Bloomberg
Photo: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (Getty Images)
The European Union will submit documents in the coming days to launch the Project Bromo satellite initiative, which is intended to compete with the American company SpaceX and reduce dependence on billionaire Elon Musk, Bloomberg reports.
According to a source, over the past year, the main focus has been on identifying and resolving any potential competition-related issues regarding the project before it is officially approved.
The project, known as Project Bromo, has been highly praised by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, although her deputy, Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera, warned that the project cannot count on leniency from regulatory authorities.
The goal is to create a company that will help Europe reduce its dependence on American satellite service providers, such as Elon Musk's SpaceX.
This venture will also be one of the first projects to test the EU's updated approach to corporate mergers, which provides more favorable conditions for creating regional giants capable of competing with American and Chinese rivals.
Last month, Ursula von der Leyen cited Project Bromo as the industrial leader Europe needed to successfully develop the space economy of the future.
Ukraine faces satellite communication challenges
Recently, the Ukrainian Armed Forces encountered restrictions on the operation of Starlink, which is owned by Elon Musk's company SpaceX.
Media outlets recently reported that the order to restrict satellite communications for Ukraine came from the White House. But it is not yet known exactly who made such a request.
