RUAG Space
RUAG Space is the Space Division of the Swiss technology group RUAG. At seven locations in Switzerland, Sweden and Austria RUAG Space has approximately 1,100 employees and generated sales of 283 million Swiss francs in 2010.
The headquarters of the space activities of RUAG is located in Zurich Seebach, the former headquarters of the in July 2009 acquired by RUAG Oerlikon Space.
Products and services
Core business of RUAG Space is the development and production of components for satellites and launchers. The portfolio is divided into five product areas:
- Structures and separation mechanisms for launchers
- Structures, mechanisms and mechanical equipment for satellite
- Digital electronics for satellites and launchers
- Equipment for satellite communications
- Instruments for satellites
Services (location Zurich ):
- Environmental Simulation (Environmental Testing) - these include: vibration tests, shock tests (including Pyroschocktests ), air tests, acceleration tests with a centrifuge, drop tests
- Material tests
- Structural tests
RUAG Space is involved in many European space missions, including Herschel, Planck, SMOS, BepiColombo, Galileo and ATV.
Some special products such as slip rings or thermal insulation provides RUAG Space also for applications outside the aerospace industry.
History
Oerlikon Contraves, Contraves Space, Oerlikon Space
Starting in 1964, the company Oerlikon Contraves was active in the space sector. At that time, the European Space Research Organization ( ESRO ) asked the company, the structure, mechanics and the thermal system to develop for their research satellite ESRO -1. When then the European Launcher Development Organisation ( ELDO ) and the ESRO merged in the 1970s, to jointly develop the Ariane, Contraves was commissioned to build the payload fairing. Since then Contraves has delivered more than 160 different generations payload fairings for the Ariane family.
1999, the aerospace sector Oerlikon Contraves as Contraves Space was made legally independent, but remained a subsidiary of the renamed Oerlikon - Buehrle Holding Unaxis Holding. As part of the new restructuring of Unaxis, including name change to OC Oerlikon Corporation, Contraves Space was given the name Oerlikon Space in December 2006.
In June 2009, the Oerlikon Space AG was taken over by the defense and technology group RUAG and end of June 2009 renamed RUAG Space AG.
RUAG
The space activities of RUAG had their roots in Emmen, where the company carried out the final assembly of payload fairings for the Ariane rocket since the late 1970s as a subcontract from Oerlikon Contraves. Especially through acquisitions expanded the RUAG Space business continuously. First, the Swiss government took over operation of the Swiss company Mecanex ( Nyon ) and HTS ( Wallisellenstrasse ). In 2008, RUAG acquired the Swedish SAAB Space and its subsidiary Austrian Aerospace. In 2009, finally bought RUAG the hitherto largest Swiss space company, Oerlikon Space AG.
Corporate Structure and Locations
RUAG Space is a division of Swiss technology group RUAG with locations in Switzerland, Sweden and Austria.
The Swiss space activities are part of RUAG Switzerland AG, a subsidiary of RUAG Holding AG. The 560 employees (February 2012 ) to work with offices in Zurich, Emmen and Nyon.
The Swedish company RUAG Space AB is also a subsidiary of the RUAG Holding AG. 320 employees (December 2009) work in Gothenburg, 80 in Linkoping.
The Austrian company RUAG Space GmbH is in turn a subsidiary of the Swedish RUAG Space AB. Work at the two locations in Vienna and Bern village 145 employees ( December 2009).
Payload fairings
The most famous product, the payload fairings, which are produced for the Ariane family of launchers by Arianespace. These missiles are used inter alia by the European Space Agency ESA.
Also RUAG Space supplies the payload fairing for the Vega launcher, which is also launched from Kourou since 2012.
The American Atlas V500 Lockheed Martin Space Systems is also fitted with the panels of RUAG Space. Panels for this type of missile are up to 26 meters long.
The construction is made of aluminum honeycomb, which are bonded between a plurality of layers of carbon fiber fabric. It is baked in an autoclave at 50 ° to 250 ° C ( cured ) coated with cork mats and painted.
The fairing protects the payload during the launch phase from damage due to the excessive noise and the aerodynamic pressure and is still blasted off during the drive phase of the rocket body to allow the release of or the satellite.