governments in March about providing back-up connectivity to Ukraine.  Despite the SES–Intelsat merger creating a more formidable European player, the new alliance will still face a daunting challenge against Starlink’s dominance. Musk’s firm dwarfs its competitors in satellite numbers, with over 7,000 in low-Earth orbit (LEO). Its closest rival, Eutelsat, has around 600. Meanwhile, Amazon’s Project Kuiper is planning to deploy a constellation of 3,236 satellites.  Being part of SpaceX also affords Starlink direct access to satellite manufacturing and launch capacity. In contrast, SES and Intelsat depend on third-party launch providers and currently lack a proprietary low-Earth orbit network. While Intelsat has a $250mn agreement to access Eutelsat’s LEO capacity, this reliance on external constellations puts the merged entity at a disadvantage. Even when combined with Europe’s other players — including Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Hisdesat — the proposed merger pales in comparison. As European policymakers push for strategic autonomy in space, the SES–Intelsat merger may be a step in the right direction, but it’s still a far cry from a true Starlink rival. Europe’s tech sovereignty will be a hot topic at Â