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Europe’s High-Stakes Satellite Push: UK Backs Eutelsat in Race Against Starlink

futureTEKnow
July 11, 2025

Europe’s ambitions in space technology just took a major leap forward. The British government has confirmed a $191 million investment in Eutelsat, the France-led satellite operator now at the heart of the continent’s new space strategy. With geopolitical forces reshaping the global landscape, this funding isn’t just about bandwidth—it’s about sovereignty, security, and a direct challenge to Elon Musk’s Starlink.

French and UK Governments Unite for Space Sovereignty

This boost brings Eutelsat’s latest funding round to an impressive €1.5 billion. Alongside the UK, the French government, Bharti Space, shipping giant CMA CGM, and the Fonds Stratégique de Participations have all poured capital into the venture, solidifying Eutelsat’s position as Europe’s leading LEO satellite operator—second only to Starlink in terms of low-Earth orbit hardware but offering a much-needed European alternative.

French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged London’s support, with Eutelsat shares soaring up to 10% in Paris following the announcement. This funding round follows a year after Eutelsat’s merger with British firm OneWeb, now giving it a formidable fleet: 34 geostationary and 600+ low-Earth orbit satellites.

Why This Matters for Europe’s Space Race

The significance goes well beyond technology headlines:

Strategic Autonomy: Europe is moving fast to develop sovereign infrastructure—especially for critical areas like defense and communications—in response to shifting global politics, the war in Ukraine, and “America First” signals from Washington.
National Security: As Peter Kyle, Britain’s science and technology minister, stated, “Resilient satellite connectivity has become essential to our continent’s national security.”
Maintaining Influence: The UK’s investment preserves its 10.89% stake in Eutelsat and maintains its “golden share” in OneWeb, ensuring a say in future European satellite policy despite Brexit.

Eutelsat’s Mid-2020s Strategy: Competing with Starlink

Hybrid Fleets: Eutelsat’s edge comes from combining geostationary (GEO) and LEO satellites, allowing for highly reliable, high-capacity networks. This hybrid approach is positioned to serve growing enterprise and government demand, especially for mobility markets like maritime and aviation.
Europe-Led Innovation: While Starlink’s 6,000+ satellites and SpaceX’s rapid rocket cadence dominate headlines, Eutelsat is staking its future on multi-orbit resilience and European ownership.

What’s Next?

The UK’s continued role in projects like the EU’s IRIS² satellite program ensures that the British technology ecosystem remains a key player, even outside the European Union.

The upshot: Europe is signaling it won’t let the satellite connectivity future be written solely by Silicon Valley or Beijing. With billions now behind Eutelsat and expanding fleets, the continental space race is officially back on—and it’s about much more than tech. It’s about securing Europe’s place among the stars.

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