Three of Europe’s largest aerospace and defense companies are joining forces to reshape the continent’s space industry. On Thursday, Airbus, Leonardo, and Thales signed a memorandum of understanding to merge their space operations into a new joint venture that—if it wins regulators' approval—will contain much of Europe’s satellite, communications, and Earth-observation capability.

The new company will bring together Airbus’s Space Systems and Space Digital businesses; Leonardo’s Space Division, including its holdings in Telespazio and Thales Alenia Space; and Thales’s stakes in Thales Alenia Space, Telespazio, and Thales SESO. Based on pro‑forma 2024 figures, the venture will employ around 25,000 people, generate roughly €6.5 billion in annual revenue, and carry an order backlog coverin

See Full Page