Space Industry in Europe Airbus, Leonardo, And Thales Forge A European Space Industry Champion

By Susanne Braun | Translated by AI 1 min Reading Time

Related Vendors

The three European companies Thales, Airbus, and Leonardo have agreed, as part of a joint declaration, to consolidate their respective space activities into a new company employing around 25,000 people across Europe.

Airbus, Thales, and Leonardo establish a joint venture for space exploration.(Image: Dall-E / AI-generated)
Airbus, Thales, and Leonardo establish a joint venture for space exploration.
(Image: Dall-E / AI-generated)

Airbus, Leonardo, and Thales announced on October 23, 2025, their intention to merge their space activities into a new joint venture comprising more than 25,000 employees. With an annual revenue of approximately $7 billion (end of 2024, pro forma) and an order backlog exceeding three years of projected revenue, this new company will strengthen Europe's competitiveness and technological independence in the global space market.

Under this joint umbrella, the satellite, system, and service solutions of the existing space units from Airbus Defence and Space, Leonardo Space Division, Thales Alenia Space, Telespazio, and Thales SESO will be consolidated. Subject to regulatory approvals, the new company is expected to become operational by 2027. Airbus will hold a 35 percent stake, while Leonardo and Thales will each hold 32.5 percent. The goal is to create an integrated European player that unifies research, development, and production, leveraging synergies of several hundred million euros per year to stabilize Europe's space industry in the long term. (sb)

Subscribe to the newsletter now

Don't Miss out on Our Best Content

By clicking on „Subscribe to Newsletter“ I agree to the processing and use of my data according to the consent form (please expand for details) and accept the Terms of Use. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy. The consent declaration relates, among other things, to the sending of editorial newsletters by email and to data matching for marketing purposes with selected advertising partners (e.g., LinkedIn, Google, Meta)

Unfold for details of your consent