Astrium
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Defunct | 2013 |
| Fate | Merged into Airbus Defence and Space |
| Headquarters | Paris , France |
Area served | Europe |
Key people | Eric Beranger (CEO as of 2012) |
| Products | Civil and military space systems, spacecraft, launch vehicles, satellite services |
Number of employees | 18,000 (2012) |
| Parent | European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) |
Astrium operated as a European aerospace manufacturer and functioned as a subsidiary under the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), with its headquarters located in Paris. Between 2006 and 2013, it was engaged in the design, development, and production of both civil and military space systems, alongside offering related services. In 2012, Astrium reported revenues amounting to €5.8 billion and employed approximately 18,000 staff across France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, and the Netherlands. The company was also affiliated with the Institute of Space, its Applications and Technologies.
Towards the end of 2013, Astrium combined operations with Cassidian, EADS’s defence branch, and Airbus Military to establish Airbus Defence and Space. Concurrently, EADS rebranded itself as the Airbus Group, organizing into three main sectors: Airbus Commercial Aircraft, Airbus Defence and Space, and Airbus Helicopters.
Business structure
Between 2006 and 2013, Astrium structured its operations around three primary divisions:Template:Fix/category[citation needed]
- Astrium Satellites, focusing on spacecraft manufacturing and ground segment systems
- EADS Astrium Space Transportation, responsible for launch vehicles and orbital infrastructure
- Astrium Services, dedicated to developing and delivering satellite-related services.[1]
Satellites
One of Astrium’s core business units was Astrium Satellites, which specialised in producing spacecraft for scientific research, Earth observation, and telecommunications purposes. This unit also developed associated equipment, subsystems, and supporting ground infrastructure.
EADS Astrium Satellites employed roughly 8,348 personnel distributed across nine facilities situated in France, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom. As of 15 October 2012, Eric Beranger assumed the role of CEO of Astrium, succeeding Evert Dudok.
History
Astrium was established in 2000 through the combination of Matra Marconi Space—which itself originated from French and British enterprises—with the space division of DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG and Computadores Redes e Ingeniería SA. This merger resulted in Astrium becoming a joint venture owned by EADS and BAE Systems.
On 16 June 2003, BAE Systems, holding a minority stake of 25%, sold its shares to EADS, thereby making EADS the sole owner. Following this acquisition, Astrium was rebranded as EADS Astrium Satellites and became a key component of the broader restructuring that led to the formation of EADS Astrium. This new structure also encompassed EADS Astrium Space Transportation and EADS Astrium Services. Within this reorganization, the former Astrium Space Infrastructure division merged with EADS Launchers & Vehicles to create EADS SPACE Transportation, later renamed EADS Astrium Space Transportation. Additionally, Paradigm Secure Communications, originally established by Astrium under the Skynet 5 contract for the UK Ministry of Defence, became a principal element of EADS SPACE Services.
CASA Espacio was integrated into EADS Astrium on 1 January 2004. Furthermore, EADS Astrium holds full ownership of Infoterra Ltd.
On 1 July 2006, the French branch of EADS Astrium, known as EADS Astrium SAS, merged with other French EADS Space subsidiaries, notably EADS Space Transportation. This consolidation resulted in the creation of Astrium SAS. Comparable mergers were completed in other countries during 2006.
Space transportation
EADS Astrium Space Transportation originated in June 2003 through the unification of EADS' launch vehicles division (previously the space division of Aérospatiale) and Astrium’s space infrastructure division, which had its roots in ERNO. Up until July 2006, it operated under the name EADS Space Transportation as a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS Space. In July 2006, the three subsidiaries within EADS Space—EADS Space Transportation, EADS Astrium, and EADS Space Services—were consolidated into a single entity named EADS Astrium. Subsequently, EADS Astrium Space Transportation became one of its business divisions. The launcher segment currently employs approximately 4,397 personnel.
This division serves as the primary contractor for the Ariane 5 launch vehicle, the Columbus module aboard the International Space Station, and the ATV, along with several smaller initiatives such as Phoenix. It is also responsible for manufacturing launchers used in France’s nuclear missile program (refer to Military of France), including the M51 SLBM.
EADS Astrium Space Transportation partnered with a team led by Lockheed Martin to submit a proposal for NASA's Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), taking charge of developing the craft’s Mission Module. This consortium secured a NASA contract in June 2005.
In 2005, the company advocated for a project named LIFE, aimed at advancing astronomy from the lunar surface.
The company operates manufacturing sites in France—specifically at Les Mureaux near Paris and Saint-Médard-en-Jalles near Bordeaux—as well as in Germany, with its principal facility located in Bremen. These production centers utilize advanced CTH03 and CTH04 technology containers designed for secure horizontal transportation of Airbus integrated spacecraft to global launch locations.
Following Antoine Bouvier’s departure on 11 June 2007, leadership of EADS Astrium Satellites passed to Evert Dudok, while Alain Charmeau assumed management responsibilities for EADS Astrium Space Transportation.
Telecommunications
- Alphabus
- Alphasat I-XL
- Amazonas 1 & 2
- Anik F1R & F3
- Arabsat 4A, 4B, 5A & 5C alongside BADR-4, 5, 6 & 7
- Astra series: 2B, 2E, 2F, 2G, 1M, 1N, 3B, and 5B
- Direct TV 15
- Eutelsat Atlantic Bird 7
- Eutelsat W1
- Eutelsat W2M
- Eutelsat W3A
- Eutelsat 3B
- Eutelsat MEA-SAT 3B
- Eutelsat W5A
- Hellas-Sat
- Hispasat 1A and 1B
- HYLAS
- Eutelsat Hot Bird series: 2 through 5
- Eutelsat Hot Bird satellites 7 to 10
- Eutelsat Ka-Sat
- Express AM4, AM4R
- Express AM7
- Inmarsat-2 satellites F1, F2, F3 & F4
- Inmarsat-4 satellites F1, F2 & F3
- Intelsat 10-02
- Nilesat models 101 and 102
- Nimiq 4
- Orion-1
- ST-1
- Stentor
- Telecom 2
- WorldStar constellation (Afristar, Asiastar, Worldstar 3)
- Yahsat satellites 1A & 1B
Defense
Earth Observation
- EarthCARE
- ADM-Aeolus
- Alsat satellite series
- Champ mission
- COMS satellite
- CryoSat
- European Remote-Sensing Satellites (ERS) 1 & 2
- Envisat
- EOS Aqua HSB instrument
- GOCE
- Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (Grace)
- Kompsat-2 satellite
- KRS (anticipated launch in 2014)
- Meteosat Second Generation (MSG)
- Meteosat satellites
- Metop series: Metop 1, Metop 2, Metop 3
- MicroSAR instrument
- Pleiades
- FORMOSAT-2 (ROCSAT-2)
- Sentinel missions: Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-5 Precursor
- Silex system
- SPOT satellites: models 1 through 5
- SSOT satellite
- Swarm constellation
- Theos satellite
- TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X missions
- VNREDSat-1 (upcoming)
Scientific Research
- BepiColombo
- Cassini-Huygens
- Cluster II mission (Cluster mission)
- Gaia observatory (Gaia mission)
- Herschel Space Observatory
- INTEGRAL satellite
- LISA Pathfinder mission
- Mars Express with Beagle 2 lander
- Rosetta probe (Rosetta space probe)
- Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)
- Solar Orbiter spacecraft
- Ulysses probe (Ulysses probe)
- Venus Express mission
- XMM-Newton observatory
- Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec)
- European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS)
- Galileo positioning system (Galileo positioning system)
Services
Astrium Services operates as the dedicated services branch within EADS Astrium.
This division focuses primarily on military satellite communication solutions and currently has a workforce of approximately 2,200 employees.
The following services and systems are managed by Astrium Services:
- ASTEL-S in France
- TELCOMARSAT in France
- SATCOMBw in Germany (established in 2009)
- Skynet network providing satellite communications for the UK Ministry of Defence
NATO communication services for Portugal and Canada
Space tourism
In June 2007, EADS Astrium declared its intention to enter the space tourism market. On 20 June of the same year, the company revealed a prototype of its space jet—a single-stage sub-orbital hybrid vehicle powered by both jet and rocket engines. Designed to carry four passengers, this craft would depart from conventional airports using traditional jet propulsion. Upon reaching a designated altitude, rocket engines would ignite to propel the vehicle further. At an altitude of 100 km, travelers would experience approximately three minutes of weightlessness. Ticket prices were projected to reach up to €200,000, with potential flight operations starting in 2012. The estimated development budget was close to one billion Euros. However, in March 2009, EADS Astrium announced that the project had been suspended indefinitely following a decision made earlier that January.
On-orbit satellite servicing
In September 2012, Astrium secured a €13 million contract from the DLR Space Administration for mission definition and design work on a two-spacecraft system aimed at demonstrating key technologies essential for on-orbit satellite servicing. This includes capabilities such as refueling satellites to extend their operational life and enabling controlled disposal of malfunctioning satellites. Named "DEOS" (German orbital servicing mission), the initiative involves two satellites: a 'client' representing the satellite in need of servicing or disposal, and a 'servicer' responsible for performing maintenance tasks. Both spacecraft are planned for joint launch into 550 kilometres (340 mi) low Earth orbit. As of 2012, the mission was anticipated to be launch-ready by 2018.
Partnership
In 2010, Astrium entered into an agreement with JSC NC Kazakhstan Gharysh Sapary (KGS), the national agency overseeing Kazakhstan's space program, to develop a Satellite Assembly, Integration and Test (AIT) Centre located in Astana. Under this contract, Astrium is responsible for supplying and installing various test apparatus—including mechanical, radiometric, thermal, and acoustic equipment—within the new AIT facility. Additionally, Astrium will provide support during the centre’s construction to ensure proper integration with the testing systems. This AIT Centre will be incorporated into the Space City project led by Kazcosmos, Kazakhstan’s space agency in Astana. The complex will also house ground segment infrastructure for two satellites built by Astrium, alongside administrative offices and a space museum.
See also
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References
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External links
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- Defunct aerospace organizations
- Manufacturing companies based in Paris
- Spacecraft manufacturers
- Airbus Defence and Space
- Former Airbus subsidiaries and divisions