UK risks losing key role in European space industry over satellite contract, says Airbus boss
Summary
Airbus has warned UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham that choosing US company Lockheed Martin for a £2.4 billion military satellite contract could reduce the UK's role in the European space industry. The contract involves building the Skynet 6 satellite system, which will support the British armed forces’ communications until 2042, with the decision still pending.Key Facts
- Airbus chief executive Guillaume Faury wrote to Andy Burnham about risks to the UK’s role in European space if Lockheed Martin wins the contract.
- The Skynet 6 contract is worth £2.4 billion and will replace the current Skynet 5 military satellite system.
- Lockheed Martin plans to open a new factory in Durham if it wins the contract, which has support from some UK politicians.
- Airbus’s UK sites at Stevenage and Portsmouth employ 600 people and may close if Airbus loses the contract.
- Airbus, Thales, and Leonardo are planning a merger called Project Bromo to create a strong European space company.
- Lockheed Martin’s UK subsidiary says it will control the satellites built in the UK and will have a UK design authority and chief engineer.
- The contract decision has been delayed partly due to changes in government leadership and competing interests.
- Labour union Unite has expressed concerns about UK space industry control if the contract goes to an American company.
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