German Military Reportedly Pursues Sovereign Satellite Constellation As Alternative To Elon Musk's Starlink

Elon Musk's SpaceX-owned Starlink low-latent satellite internet services company will likely have a new rival soon, but this time, it may arise from Europe.

Amid growing geopolitical tensions, Germany — Europe's largest economy and the world's third-largest — is reportedly planning to develop its own satellite constellation to provide communication services.

Handelsblatt reported this week that the Bundeswehr (Germany's military) was contemplating assembling at least one satellite constellation to reduce its reliance on Starlink and other communications networks, Space.com reported.

Besides communication services, the Bundeswehr is also eyeing other applications, such as remote sensing, Handelsblatt reported.

The report suggested that the constellation's construction is planned for 2029, although it did not clarify whether the timeline pointed to the start or the completion of the project.

While the German Ministry of Defense confirmed the news to Handelsblatt, it did not divulge cost or other details, citing security reasons. 

The German military's move comes amid the current geopolitical dynamics, which threaten the country's reliance on satellite systems from allies.

U.S.-based Starlink played a significant role in keeping Ukraine's connectivity intact amid its ongoing war with Russia.

Bundeswehr's plans are in addition to the IRIS 2 constellation planned by the European Union, which aims to bring high-speed broadband services to the continent. 

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