Saab Space
 | |
| Company type | Joint-stock company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Space |
| Headquarters | Zürich, Switzerland |
Key people | Andre Wall (CEO) |
| Revenue | Template:Wikidata revenue (USTemplate:Wikidata revenue) (Template:Wikidata revenue) |
Number of employees | 1,265 (2019) |
| Website | beyondgravity.com |
Beyond Gravity represents the aerospace division of the Swiss tech conglomerate RUAG. The company operates across thirteen locations spread over Switzerland (Bern, Zurich, Emmen, and Nyon), Sweden (Gothenburg, Linköping), Finland (Tampere), the USA (Titusville, Decatur), Austria (Vienna, Berndorf), and Portugal (Lisbon). Employing approximately 1,265 staff members, Beyond Gravity recorded revenues of 339 million Swiss Francs in 2019.[1][2][3][4] Additionally, Beyond Gravity holds a 0.82% stake in Arianespace as of 2018.[5]
History
Previously operating under the name RUAG Space USA, Beyond Gravity is a division within the Swiss technology group RUAG with facilities distributed across Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Germany, the USA, and Austria.[6]
The origins date back to the late 1970s when it served as a subcontractor for Oerlikon Contraves (later Oerlikon Space), performing final assembly work on payload fairings for the Ariane launch vehicles at Emmen, Switzerland. Growth over time was largely driven by acquisitions. The Swiss government-owned entity integrated companies such as Mecanex (Nyon) and HTS (Wallisellen). In 2008, it expanded by acquiring SAAB Space from Sweden along with its subsidiary Austrian Aerospace.
Further expansion followed in subsequent years. In 2015, a facility in Tampere, Finland was added to the portfolio; this site employs around 40 personnel. By that year, RUAG Space USA (later renamed Beyond Gravity USA) operated four facilities across four states. As of 2018, the U.S. workforce numbered 109 employees based at locations in Decatur, Alabama; Titusville, Florida; and Denver (Centennial), Colorado. The acquisition of HTS GmbH near Dresden in Coswig during 2016 marked the company's first German site. After two years of integration, this entity was rebranded RUAG Space Germany GmbH.[7]
In Sweden during 2018, RUAG Space AB (subsequently renamed Beyond Gravity AB) employed 332 staff members in Gothenburg and an additional 120 in Linköping. This branch also maintained two subsidiaries located in Austria and Finland. Its specialization includes satellite-related technologies such as onboard computer systems, antennas, microwave electronics, as well as launcher adapters and separation mechanisms. The headquarters is situated in Gothenburg with a mechanical systems division based in Linköping. In May 2015, this division had a total workforce of 415 employees. Originally established as a joint venture named Saab Ericsson Space, it transitioned fully under SAAB's ownership after Ericsson divested its share along with Saab Microwave Systems in 2006.[8]
On May 1, 2022, reflecting a strategic shift towards the rapidly evolving space sector and updated corporate vision, RUAG Space adopted the new brand name Beyond Gravity.[9]
Rooted in its European heritage, Beyond Gravity has contributed to numerous European space missions while simultaneously establishing a foothold within the American market. Prominent scientific spacecraft incorporating components from Beyond Gravity include the Herschel Space Observatory, Planck, Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity, BepiColombo, Galileo, Solar Orbiter, Automated Transfer Vehicle, Aeolus, and ICESat2.
Payload fairings
Beyond Gravity produces payload fairings for various launch vehicles, including a widely utilized 5.4-metre-wide (18 ft) model employed on the Ariane 6,[10] the H3 rocket featuring a W-type fairing,Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name as well as for the Terran RCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name and Vulcan Centaur launch systems.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Additionally, the company supplies smaller fairings designed for the Atlas V and Vega C rockets.[10]
The primary role of a payload fairing is to shield the payload from environmental factors during ascent, preserving its cleanliness and protecting it against intense acoustic vibrations, aerodynamic forces, and thermal stresses encountered during launch. After the vehicle passes through regions of high dynamic pressure and heat flux, this protective shell is jettisoned using explosive mechanisms, revealing the payload and decreasing the mass of the accelerating rocket.Template:Fix/category[citation needed]
Structurally, payload fairings are composed of a sandwich configuration, featuring an aluminum honeycomb core sandwiched between layers of carbon fiber reinforced polymer. Historically, composite curing was performed in autoclaves, but since 2016, the company has adopted an Out-of-autoclave manufacturing method.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name This technique involves curing each half-shell of the fairing in an industrial oven as a single integrated component. Beyond enhancing structural performance, this process streamlines production by consolidating multiple elements simultaneously: the inner and outer skins, the honeycomb core, and an external thermal protection layer made from cork-based material.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
References
- ↑ Annual Report RUAG Holding AG, 2019 https://annualreport.ruag.com/2019/sites/ar19/files/media_document/2020-04/GB_RUAG_2019_EN.pdf
- ↑ "RUAG annual report 2019".
- ↑ "Opening of New Site in Lisbon (Portugal) to Expand Talent Pool | Beyond Gravity". www.beyondgravity.com. Retrieved 2025-03-26.
- ↑ "14 locations in six countries in Europe & the US | Beyond Gravity". www.beyondgravity.com. Retrieved 2025-03-26.
- ↑ "Company profile – Repartition of Arianespace capital". Arianespace. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
- ↑ "Our story. | Beyond Gravity". beyondgravity.com. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
- ↑ "RUAG Location finder".
- ↑ Berg, Martin (2006-06-12). "Ericsson säljer Ericsson Microwave Systems till Saab" (in Swedish). Dagens Nyheter. Retrieved 2008-11-09.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)Template:Fix/category[dead link] - ↑ "Questions & Answers Rebranding Beyond Gravity | RUAG". www.ruag.com. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Cite error: Invalid
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