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Astrium

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Astrium
IndustrySpace industry,Space tourism
PredecessorEADS Space
FoundedDecember 2006
FounderEADS
Defunct2013
SuccessorAirbus Defence and Space
Headquarters
Paris
,
France
Revenue€5.8 billion(2012)
Number of employees
18,000 (as of 2012)
ParentEADS
Websitewww.astrium.eads.net

Astriumwas anaerospace manufacturersubsidiary of theEuropean Aeronautic Defence and Space Company(EADS) that provided civil and military space systems and services from 2006 to 2013. In 2012, Astrium had aturnoverof €5.8 billion and 18,000 employees in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands. Astrium was a member ofInstitute of Space, its Applications and Technologies.

In late 2013 Astrium was merged withCassidian,the defence division of EADS andAirbus Militaryto formAirbus Defence and Space.[1]EADS itself was reorganized as theAirbus Group,with three divisions that includeAirbus,Airbus Defence and Space,andAirbus Helicopters.[1]

Business structure

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During 2006–2013, the three main areas of activity within Astrium were:[citation needed]

  • Astrium Satellitesfor spacecraft andground segment
  • EADS Astrium Space Transportationfor launchers and orbital infrastructure
  • Astrium Servicesfor the development and delivery of satellite services.

Satellites

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Astrium Satelliteswas one of the three business units of Astrium (nowAirbus Defence and Space), a subsidiary of EADS (nowAirbus). It is a European space manufacturer involved in the manufacturing ofspacecraftused for science,Earthobservation and telecommunications, as well as the equipment and subsystems used therein and related ground systems.

EADS Astrium Satellites employs around 8,348 people on nine sites in France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom,. As of 15 October 2012, the CEO of Astrium is Eric Beranger who took over fromEvert Dudokwho becameAstrium Services.

History

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See also:History of Airbus

Astrium was formed in 2000 by the merger ofMatra Marconi Space(itself formed from French and British companies) with the space division ofDaimlerChrysler Aerospace AGandComputadores Redes e Ingeniería SA.Henceforth Astrium was a joint venture between EADS andBAE Systems.

On 16 June 2003 the minority shareholder, BAE Systems, sold its 25% share to EADS, making EADS the sole shareholder. Astrium becameEADS Astrium Satellitesand in a wider restructuring became the major constituent ofEADS Astrium,which also includedEADS Astrium Space TransportationandEADS Astrium Services.In this restructuring the former Astrium Space Infrastructure division merged with EADS Launchers & Vehicles division to form EADS SPACE Transportation, which became later EADS Astrium Space Transportation. Also,Paradigm Secure Communications,initially created by Astrium in the frame of theSkynet 5contract for the UKMinistry of Defencebecame the major constituent of EADS SPACE Services.

CASA Espacio became part of EADS Astrium on 1 January 2004. EADS Astrium is the sole shareholder ofInfoterra Ltd.

On 1 July 2006, the French subsidiary of EADS Astrium, EADS Astrium SAS, merged with other French subsidiaries of EADS Space (especially EADS Space Transportation). The name of the new company isAstrium SAS.Equivalent mergers have been achieved in 2006 in the other countries. The EADS group does not communicate about these mergers, excepted when required by the law, such as in contractual documents.

Space transportation

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EADS Astrium Space Transportationwas formed in June 2003 from the Space Infrastructure division of Astrium (whose core was originallyERNO) and the EADS Launch Vehicles division (formerlyAérospatiale's Space division). Until July 2006 it was calledEADS Space Transportationand was a fully owned subsidiary ofEADS Space.In July 2006 the three subsidiaries of EADS Space (EADS Space Transportation, EADS Astrium, and EADS Space Services) were reintegrated into one company, EADS Astrium, of which EADS Astrium Space Transportation is a business division. Currently 4397 employees work in the launcher segment.

The Space Transportation company is the prime contractor for theAriane 5launcher, theColumbusModule of theInternational Space Station,and theATV,as well as a number of smaller projects (most notablyPhoenix). It also builds launchers for the French nuclear missile program (see alsoMilitary of France), such as theM51 SLBM.

It joined the team led byLockheed Martinfor a bid onNASA'sCrew Exploration Vehicle(CEV), being in charge of the craft'sMission Module.The team won a contract from NASA in June 2005.

In 2005, EADS Astrium Space Transportation started a campaign in favour of a project calledLIFE,for astronomy from the Moon surface.

The company has facilities in France (Les Mureauxnear Paris and Saint-Médard-en-Jalles nearBordeaux) and in Germany; the main facility in Germany is located inBremen.These manufacturing facilities utilise specialist CTH03 and CTH04 high technology equipment containers which allow thesafe transportof Airbus integrated spacecraft in a horizontal position when sending them worldwide to launch sites.

AfterEvert Dudoktook over fromAntoine Bouvieras Head of EADS Astrium Satellites on 11 June 2007, Alain Charmeau assumed responsibility of the management of EADS Astrium Space Transportation.

Programmes

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Telecoms

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Military

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Earth observation

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Science

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Services

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Astrium Services is the services division of EADS Astrium.

The services division specializes in military satellite communications services and currently employs about 2,200 personnel.

Astrium Services is responsible for delivering the following services and systems:

Space tourism

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Main article:EADS Astrium Space Tourism Project
Logo used until 2010

In June 2007, EADS Astrium announced it would be entering thespace tourismsector. On 20 June 2007 the company unveiled a model of the space jet, a one-stagesub-orbitalhybrid craft, utilising both jet and rocket engines. Carrying four passengers, the space jet would take off from regular airports using conventional jet engines. After flying to the needed altitude, the rockets would then be fired. After reaching its final altitude of 100 km, passengers would experience weightlessness for three minutes. Tickets were expected to cost up to €200,000 with flights possibly beginning in 2012.[3]EADS estimated the development cost would approach 1 billion Euros. In March 2009 EADS Astrium confirmed that the programme had been placed on hold indefinitely; the decision had been made in January of that year.[4]

On-orbit satellite servicing

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In September, 2012, Astrium won a €13 million mission definition and design contract from theDLR Space Administrationto build a two-vehicle set ofspacecraftto demonstrate several technologies necessary foron-orbit satellite servicing,includingspacecraft refuelling,in order to enable satellite mission extension and also controlled disposal of adefective satellite.The project is entitled "DEOS" (German orbital servicing mission), and consists of two satellites, a 'client' and a 'servicer'. The client acts as the satellite requiring maintenance or disposal. The servicer carries out the necessary work on the client. The two spacecraft will be launched together intolow Earth orbitof 550 kilometres (340 mi). As of 2012,the mission "will be ready for launch in 2018."[5]

Partnership

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Taufkirchen,Germany: EADS Astrium (main building)

In 2010 Astrium signed with JSC NC Kazakhstan Gharysh Sapary (KGS), the national company charged with the development of Kazakhstan's space programme, a contract for a Satellite Assembly, Integration and Test (AIT) Centre inAstana.Under the contract Astrium will provide and install the various test equipment (mechanical, radiometric, thermal and acoustic facilities) at the new AIT Centre. Astrium will also assist KGS in the construction of the AIT Centre to ensure coordination with the test equipment. The AIT Centre will form part of the Space City that the Kazakhstan space agency, Kazcosmos, is developing in Astana. The city will also include the ground segment for the two Astrium-built satellites, as well an administrative building and a space museum.[6]

Structural evolution of Airbus SE
Dec 1970 Jan 1992 July 2000 Sep 2000 Jan 2001 Dec 2006 Apr 2009 Sep 2010 Jan 2014 May 2015 Jan 2017 Apr 2017
European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company NV Airbus Group NV Airbus Group SE Airbus SE
Airbus Industrie GIE Airbus SAS
Airbus Military SAS Airbus Defence and Space SAS
EADS Defence and Security Cassidian SAS
Astrium SAS EADS Astrium SAS
Eurocopter SA Eurocopter SAS Airbus Helicopters SAS

See also

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References

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  1. ^ab Messier, Doug (2014-01-05)."EADS Reorganizes, Acknowledges Success of SpaceX".Parabolic Arc.Retrieved2014-01-07.
  2. ^"Government Communications | Paradigm Secure".Archived fromthe originalon 2014-10-28.Retrieved2015-05-28.
  3. ^"Firm rockets into space tourism".BBC Online.2007-06-13.Retrieved2007-06-13.
  4. ^March, Rayon."EADS Astrium puts its" space jet "on hold indefinitley - Hyperbola".Flightglobal.Retrieved2013-03-27.
  5. ^ "Astrium wins DEOS contract to demonstrate in-orbit servicing".Press Release.EADS Astrium. 2012-09-13. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-10-16.Retrieved2012-09-25.
  6. ^"Kazakhstan and EADS Plan Strategic Partnership".The Gazette of Central Asia.Satrapia. 23 November 2012.
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