RUAG Space

RUAG Space is a segment of the Swiss technology group RUAG. At a total of fourteen sites in Switzerland (Zurich, Emmen and Nyon), Sweden (Gothenburg, Linköping), Finland (Tampere), Germany (Coswig), USA (Denver, Titusville, Decatur) and Austria (Vienna, Berndorf). RUAG Space employs around 1,265 people and posted sales of 339 million Swiss Francs in 2019.[1][2] As a supplier of Arianespace, RUAG Space is also a shareholder, with 0.82% of capital in 2018.[3]

RUAG Space
TypeJoint-stock company
IndustrySpace technology
Founded2009
Headquarters
Zürich, Switzerland
Key people
EVP (Executive Vice President) ad interim Luis León de Chardel
Revenue
  • 339 Mio. CHF (2019)
  • 377 Mio. CHF (2018)
  • 365 Mio. CHF (2017)
  • 300 Mio. CHF (2016)
  • 283 Mio. CHF (2010)
Number of employees
1265 (2019)
Footnotes / references
24.10.2019

History

RUAG Space is a segment of the Swiss technology group RUAG, with locations in Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Germany, the USA and Austria.

The company began in the late 1970s as a subcontractor of Oerlikon Contraves (later named Oerlikon Space) carrying out final assembly of payload fairings for Ariane rockets. These activities took place at Emmen, Switzerland. Over the years RUAG Space has expanded primarily through acquisitions. First, the Swiss government owned company took over the companies Mecanex (Nyon) and HTS (Wallisellen). In 2008, RUAG acquired the Swedish SAAB Space and its subsidiary Austrian Aerospace.

In the following years RUAG Space expanded further. In 2015 a site in Tampere, Finland was acquired. RUAG Space Finland has 40 employees. By 2015, RUAG Space USA had 4 sites in 4 different states. In 2018, 109 employees were working in the United States at sites in Decatur, Alabama; Titusville, Florida; and Denver (Centennial), Colorado. During 2016 the HTS GmbH in Coswig near Dresden was acquired as the first RUAG Space site in Germany. After a two year consolidation period, the name was changed to RUAG Space Germany GmbH.[4]

In 2018, the Swedish branch of RUAG Space AB had 332 employees in Gothenburg and 120 employees in Linköping, with two subsidiaries in Austria and Finland. RUAG Space AB specializes in related equipment, for example on-board computer systems, antennas and microwave electronics for satellites and adapters and separation systems for launchers. The company headquarters is located in Gothenborg, Sweden and a division for mechanical systems is situated in Linköping, Sweden. In May 2015, the company had 415 employees. It was originally started as a joint venture between SAAB and Ericsson as Saab Ericsson Space until Ericsson sold its stake to SAAB together with Saab Microwave Systems in 2006.[5]

As a result of its European origins, RUAG Space has been part of many European space missions, but is also building a US market presence. Notable scientific spacecraft to use RUAG Space components include the Herschel Space Observatory, Planck, Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity, BepiColombo, Galileo, Solar Orbiter, Automated Transfer Vehicle, Aeolus, and ICESat2. RUAG Space products also fly on the Ariane 5, Vega, Falcon 9, and Atlas launch vehicles.

Payload fairing

RUAG Space manufactures payload fairings for a number of launchers, including Arianespace's Ariane[6] and Vega rockets,[6] United Launch Alliance's Atlas 5 500 series,[7] and for ULA's forthcoming Vulcan launcher.[8]

A payload fairing consists of a sandwich-structure, with a core of aluminum honeycomb and topcoat of carbon fiber reinforced polymer. Cured in the autoclave at 50 to 250 °C, it is lined with a cork plating and painted with its final lacquer.

A payload fairing protects the payload during launch from damage caused by the enormous noise, vibration and aerodynamic pressure. Once the atmosphere is getting thinner, and the point of highest pressure (max Q) is past, it gets separated via explosives while the engines are still burning, so that the payload is exposed.

References
  1. Annual Report RUAG Holding AG, 2019 https://annualreport.ruag.com/2019/sites/ar19/files/media_document/2020-04/GB_RUAG_2019_EN.pdf
  2. "RUAG annual report 2019".
  3. "Company profile – Repartition of Arianespace capital". Arianespace. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  4. "RUAG Location finder".
  5. Berg, Martin (2006-06-12). "Ericsson säljer Ericsson Microwave Systems till Saab" (in Swedish). Dagens Nyheter. Retrieved 2008-11-09.
  6. "Separation test of a Vega fairing". European Space Agency. 17 October 2019. RUAG Space in Switzerland manufactures fairings for Europe’s Ariane and Vega launchers
  7. Stephen Clark (8 August 2019). "Atlas 5 launch timeline on the AEHF 5 mission". Spaceflight Now.
  8. Jeff Foust (15 April 2016). "Ruag to make payload fairings for ULA's Vulcan". Space News.
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