SpaceX rival in Germany capitalizes on Elon Musk's skepticism towards SpaceX's business operations
Europe's Aerospace Industry Soars, with OHB at the Forefront
Amidst the burgeoning European aerospace industry, OHB, a prominent Bremen-based conglomerate, is thriving. The company's success is not solely attributed to increasing demand from civilian and military clients, but also the waning trust in Elon Musk's SpaceX.
Marco Fuchs, CEO of OHB, shares that European skepticism towards SpaceX's products has become more prevalent. "When you present SpaceX products today, many Europeans say, 'No, thank you, we don't want that,'" Fuchs stated in an interview with Capital. Despite his personal acquaintance with Musk, Fuchs has had little contact with him in recent times.
As European alternatives to SpaceX's satellite network, Starlink, gain momentum, OHB anticipates substantial contracts. However, catching up with Starlink's pace remains a challenge. Fuchs likens the situation to starting an airline with aspirations to surpass Lufthansa, simultaneously building planes from scratch.
SpaceX currently dominates the global aerospace industry, a position Fuchs expects to persist for the foreseeable future. "The lead isn't about to diminish; quite the contrary, it's constantly expanding," he asserted.
In the future, OHB aspires to expand in the military sector, positioning themselves as a company providing satellites for military usage. This ambition has led to internal discussions. Fuchs, comfortably, sees the German military as a potential customer. "The recent developments in Ukraine and the current politics in the United States have shown us that we can't always turn a blind eye and expect others to handle defense matters for us," he remarked.
Established in Bremen in the early '80s, OHB is among the leading companies in the expanding European aerospace industry. Employing 3500 people across 15 locations, the conglomerate constructs satellites and components for manned spaceflight, including parts for the International Space Station. OHB's subsidiary, Rocket Factory in Augsburg, is one of several German companies working on new rockets aimed at challenging SpaceX and other launch system providers.
Sources: ntv.de, mbo
- Aerospace
- Bremen
- Elon Musk
- SpaceX
- Satellite
- In response to growing European skepticism towards SpaceX's products, OHB, based in Bremen, sees potential for substantial contracts as European alternatives to Starlink garner momentum.
- While SpaceX currently dominates the global aerospace industry, with a position that is expected to persist, OHB aims to expand in the military sector, providing satellites for military usage, with the German military being a potential customer.
- With an aspiration to challenge SpaceX and other launch system providers, OHB's subsidiary, Rocket Factory in Augsburg, is among several German companies working on new rockets in the Vocational Training sector.
