It has been dubbed Project Bromo. According to reports this week, Airbus is leading efforts to put together a European “national champion” to take on Elon Musk’s SpaceX and carve out a chunk of the emerging stellar economy for Europe.
No, obviously this isn’t going to work.
All that would be far more effective than yet another bloated and inefficient state-backed European consortium backed up with subsidies and protectionism.
Quite. Not-government, not government.
As one of the few people around here to have had a commercial relationship with Airbus, Nasa and SpaceX (even if exceedingly brief in the last two cases) I have to point out that speed and cost reduction just aren;t acheived by the consortia and government…..
That speed and cost reduction just aren’t acheived by consortia and government is a truth that any reasonable observer of the world can acknowledge.
Indeed, Musk’s company is now valued at $350bn, while Eutelsat, its European rival, which took over the UK’s OneWeb, has seen its shares slump to a five-year low and is now valued at less than €1bn (£830m).
Starlink has over 7,000 satellites and offers a great service. OneWeb has fewer than 700 and offers a shit service. They’re “rivals” in the sense that technically, the corner shop is in competition with Harrods.
If Europe genuinely wants to catch up in the space industry,
I’m bored of saying this, but it’s boringly true. We won’t have any industries under Net Zero. Just like, no, you won’t go on holiday somewhere nice next year if you don’t stop that gushing head wound. It doesn’t matter how carefully you plan anything when there’s a fountain of blood spurting out of your temple.
Forget about space exploration, the EU will be lucky to retain 24/7 electricity supplies and indoor plumbing past 2030. Most of urban Western Europe is already the Third World.
“Project Bromo”
It stinks.
“a European “national champion” ”
Which European nation will be championed? Europe isn’t a nation, a champion representing the Union wouldn’t be representing any particular nation, but some abstract ‘shared interest’.
If you can’t even stop the marketing blurb being gibberish you’re not fit for rocket science.
Is Peenemunde still available?
Sounds like the stuff they put in soldiers’ tea.
Anyway Europe already has a space programme : Ariane.
Why not privatise that ?
I’d settle for Airbus just not pissing money up against the wall.
There’s so much waste there it’s unbelievable.
@Steve
Peenemunde would be fine for polar orbits, because no one cares what the Swedes or Norwegians think.
But not so good for equatorial orbits maybe. Neighbours that way much less amenable.
Dropping hundred ton boosters on peoples’ towns may sometimes cause offence.
So back to Square Oneski. Build it in 100 different Eurolocations, assemble in Toulouse, dismantle, ship across Atlantic, reassemble in French Guinea (or wherever it is!), hose out all the snakes, and other vermin, lightblue touch paper. Repeat.
Sounds a bargain.
Snigger? LOL. Heartily.
Niels: It’s deliberate. The grand plan is everyone thinks that the EU is a nation, and if that gains traction in the world thre will be a lot of semen being spurted in the Berlaymont. It their wet dream come to life at last.
TtC – Some have harsh words for this man of renown,
But some think our attitude
Should be one of gratitude,
Like the widows and cripples in old London town,
Who owe their large pensions to Wernher von Braun.
ESA/Airbus ignored SpaceX when they were developing Falcon 9 and spend billions building the (fully expendible) Ariane 6. The latter is now hopelessly out competed by the former, which SpaceX plan to make obsolete with Starship/Super Heavy in the next few years.
And now they reckon they’re going to be able to leapfrog from A6 to a SpaceX competitor? In their dreams!
@Steve
🙂
Egypt wants one too, just to use on you know who…
Isarel’s getting tense. Wants one in self defence.
“The Lords my Shepherd” says the psalm.
But just in case – better get a Bomb!
Though my fav is National Brotherhood Week. Not much performed on stage, or off it.
NB The Peenemunde Murders by Jim McDermott is an excellent read. And yes, old Werner has a walk on part.
>NielsR
February 12, 2025 at 10:24 am
“a European “national champion” ”
Which European nation will be championed? Europe isn’t a nation, a champion representing the Union wouldn’t be representing any particular nation, but some abstract ‘shared interest’.
If you can’t even stop the marketing blurb being gibberish you’re not fit for rocket science.
Probably Greece. France and Germany, the lynchpins of the EU, will back up any of the shittier countries in the EU if they make enough noise about leaving no matter how much it hurts France and Germany.
They’ll turn Europe into North Korea if that’s what it takes because they want to be the big fish – no matter how small the pond needs to be.