Astrium Will Be Europe's Shining Star
in the Race to Commercialize Space

Germany is Europe's largest contributor to the International Space Station.

ILA 2000: Astrium, the brand new pan-European space company formed just last month, is holding its coming-out party at ILA 2000.

Even as it revels in its new identity -- and the relatively light restrictions placed upon it by the EU Commission -- Astrium is celebrating its first large order, predicting it will encompass even more of Europe's space activities by year end, and is already looking for links across the Atlantic.

With annual sales of $2.6 billion Astrium ranks third in the world as a satellite manufacturer behind Lockheed Martin and Boeing-Hughes, and is a major participant in Arianespace with a 25.9% share in the launch company.

Astrium just won a $700 million contract from Inmarsat, which provides satellite communications services, to build three satellites as part of a $1.4 billion plan for a faster satellite-based Internet service network.

Astrium was formed by combining the space activities of DaimlerChrysler Aerospace and Matra Marconi Space (owned jointly by Aerospatiale Matra and BAE Systems). The subsequent merger of Dasa and Aerospatiale Matra gives EADS a 75.5% share in Astrium.

Italy's Alenia has agreed in principle to join the group, probably by the end of the year. And Astrium is already exploring transAtlantic links: Klaus Ensslin, the head of Dasa's satellite unit, is on record as saying Astrium would be open in the long term to the possibility of a transatlantic merger to compete with Boeing's proposed purchase of Hughes Electronics' satellite businesses.

Aerospatiale Matra and Dasa already produce numerous satellites, including Eutelsat II and III, Arabsat II and Turksat II, which have already been launched into space, and Sirius II, Thaicom III and Globalstar, which are currently under construction.

Germany is Europe's largest contributor to the international space station, with a 41% share of the European Space Agency's program, and intends to run the whole European element of the space station on an industrial basis from 2003.

One of the most significant European collaborative projects under Dasa leadership is the manned space laboratory Columbus, which will dock onto the International Space Station from 2003 on.

In addition, together with Aerospatiale Matra, Dasa is working on the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) for the International Space Station and on technologies for a manned European space transporter.

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