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Project Bromo: Europe’s Answer to Starlink

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

December 4, 2024

Airbus, Thales, and Leonardo have initiated talks to establish a joint satellite venture, codenamed Project Bromo, aimed at challenging Elon Musk’s Starlink. Inspired by the success of MBDA, a multinational missile manufacturing consortium, the project aspires to unify Europe’s fragmented satellite industry into a formidable global player.

Key Facts about Project Bromo

MBDA Model Inspiration: The project draws parallels with MBDA, a successful missile manufacturing alliance co-owned by Airbus, Leonardo, and BAE Systems. MBDA’s structure has been a benchmark for collaborative ventures across borders.
A Long-Awaited Partnership: While a potential collaboration among Europe’s satellite makers has been hinted at for years, Project Bromo represents a tangible step towards achieving a unified approach to revitalising the struggling sector.
Competing with Starlink: With Starlink dominating low Earth orbit using low-cost small satellites, Bromo seeks to shift the focus of Europe’s satellite makers from high-cost geostationary satellites to the competitive low Earth orbit market.
Pooling Resources: Rather than a buyout of assets, the joint venture plans to combine the satellite operations of the three companies into a single entity, leveraging collective expertise and resources.

Amid the optimism surrounding Project Bromo, Airbus faces significant internal challenges. The company announced plans to cut 2,500 jobs, approximately 7% of its Defence and Space division, by mid-2026. The cuts are expected to disproportionately affect its €2 billion space systems business, particularly in France, Germany, and potentially the UK and Spain. Thales, meanwhile, is planning to eliminate 1,300 space-related roles.

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Despite these setbacks, the companies insist these measures will be achieved through voluntary redundancies.

The collaboration among Airbus, Thales, and Leonardo reflects a growing urgency to unify Europe’s aerospace sector. Roberto Cingolani, CEO of Leonardo and former Italian Minister of Environmental Transition, acknowledged in July that the companies were striving to build a cohesive European space alliance.

Project Bromo isn’t Europe’s only effort to counter Starlink. In 2022, satellite internet operators OneWeb and Eutelsat announced a merger, creating another potential challenger to Musk’s dominance in satellite internet.

While Project Bromo signifies a bold step forward, the journey to establish a European satellite champion will be lengthy. Decades of stalled efforts to consolidate Europe’s satellite industry have highlighted the complexities of governance, competition, and resource sharing. Still, the ambition of Project Bromo offers a glimmer of hope for Europe’s space sector, promising to transform its competitive landscape and assert its presence in the global satellite market.

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X Shifts U.S. Creator Payouts To X Money With No Minimum Threshold

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

September 3, 2026

X said Wednesday that all creator payouts in the U.S. will now be processed through X Money, its payments service, with the change taking effect immediately.

The new system covers earnings from X’s Original Content Rewards Program and creator subscriptions, according to X Creators. U.S. creators will receive access to their funds as soon as payouts are sent, the company said.

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Instant Access Replaces Biweekly Payouts

Previously, X paid creators every two weeks and required them to earn at least $30 before receiving a payout, according to the company’s documentation.

Under X Money, creators no longer need to wait for the end of a billing cycle or meet a minimum threshold. The faster access could be particularly useful for independent publishers and smaller creators who rely on regular payments for operating expenses.

U.S. Creators Must Switch From Stripe

The change is mandatory for creators in the U.S. Those previously receiving payments through Stripe will have to move to X Money, an X representative confirmed. Creators outside the U.S. will continue receiving payouts through Stripe.

X Reshapes Creator Monetization

The payments change comes as X prepares to retire its Creator Revenue Sharing Program on Sept. 7. The program stopped accepting new members last month, and creators are being moved to the Original Content Rewards Program, which emphasizes original content.

The shift is part of X’s broader effort to restructure creator monetization around content produced for the platform.

X Money Expands Musk’s Payments Strategy

X Money, which began supporting creator payouts earlier this month, is part of Elon Musk’s effort to turn X into an “everything app.”

The service offers a bank card with 3% cash back, instant payments, free ATM withdrawals and other digital banking features. X Money is not a bank, however. Customer accounts are held at Cross River Bank, an FDIC-insured institution.

Payouts Also Affect Interest And Tax Reporting

Creator payouts will count toward the direct deposit requirements for X Money’s higher APY rate. According to X Money’s interest FAQ, X Premium users can receive a 6% rate, compared with 4% for the standard rate.

X said it will issue a 1099-NEC to individuals receiving creator payouts. For LLCs, the company will collect W-9 information for tax reporting purposes.