I would love to see this happen, as more competition will benefit the industry around the world. However, the words "all-European" immediately raise concerns.

Recent history has demonstrated the difficulties that can occur when European aerospace companies attempt cross-border programs that depend on funding from multiple national governments, and when payrolls of corporations in these countries are affected. For example:

• Several years ago the Airbus A380 suffered serious delays. While the primary manufacturing problem was related to electrical harness installation, that and other problems have been tied to the complex (and perhaps redundant) executive management structure that existed in Germany and France. As Airbus President and CEO Christian Streiff said in a speech on Oct. 3, 2006: "But Airbus is not yet an integrated company. Airbus doesn't yet have a simple and clear organisation. There are shadow hierarchies – leftovers from the never finished integration. And the change we bring about must also include the management culture."
• Airbus announced a one-year delay of its A400M military cargo plane in Oct. 2007. Further delays announced last year mean the aircraft is now slated to enter service in Spring 2010.
  

You may rightfully say, "Hold on there, Jeff, that's just two examples." True enough, but the parent company of Airbus is EADS, which expressed its NewSpace intent at the Paris 2007 Airshow when EADS Astrium announced its spaceplane design. How is this coming along? As I wrote last June, the company was unable to generate sufficient interest among potential partners. Even worse, the views expressed by European Commission Vice President Guenter Verheugen speak volumes about the attitudes of the European political establishment toward entrepreneurial space activity (NewSpace). Referring to public remarks by Guenter, Astrium Chief Executive Francois Auque said, "I was even told that this project was morally blameworthy because it targets an audience of the rich people." (Source: June 13, 2008 issue of Space News).

So, yes, I'm making some assumptions here due to these previous problems and the likelihood that EADS will be involved in the program cited by Rob Coppinger. It is also quite clear that political pressure contributed to unwise business decisions. All of which leaves me wondering if NewSpace can survive European politics when traditional and far more economically important aerospace has suffered from political influence?