Musk’s Political Rise Frays Space Rivals’ Nerves: Lionel Laurent

Elon Musk’s meteoric rise to the top of US politics as efficiency czar is generating high anxiety in Europe, and not just because of his foul-mouthed social-media tirades against Brussels rule-setters. German ex-Chancellor Angela Merkel has called the pairing of Musk and Donald Trump hugely concerning, pointing a finger specifically at Musk’s dominance in the space industry. The angst is justified — but pointing fingers isn’t enough.

Musk’s $210 billion firm SpaceX is uniquely powerful, even more so than his tweets. Its reusable rockets have essentially monopolized a commercial launch market once led by Europe. Its 6,000 Starlink satellites offering ...