Airbus Defence and Space is a division of Airbus Group formed by combining the business activities of Cassidian, Astrium and Airbus Military. The new division is Europe’s number one defence and space enterprise, the second largest space business worldwide and among the top ten global defence enterprises. It employs 40,000 employees generating revenues of approximately €13 billion per year.
The main equity controlled - 30% of the French government through a company Sogegade, 30% of the German government, through concern Daimler, 5.5% of the Spanish group SEPI, the remaining shares are publicly traded. Airbus DS is the largest defence and space company in Europe specialized in the following areas:
- Space Systems and Electronics;
- Communication, Intelligence and Security;
- Military Aircraft.
Space Systems and ElectronicsSpace Systems and Electronics is the European leader in space, formed from the current Astrium Divisions Space Transportation and Satellites. With its unique expertise, Space Systems will be the global No. 1 for commercial launchers and the European leader for satellites and orbital systems. The business line will serve institutional customers like ESA, national civil and defence agencies and commercial customers.
Specialization:
• Orbital system, operation and maintenance of the International Space Station (European segment).
• Design, manufacture and operation of carriers.
• Military Space Systems.
• Satellite systems: telecommunication satellites, remote sensing, navigation and science missions.
• Propulsion.
• Take-back payloads and samples from orbit.
• Development and delivery of turn-key solutions for Assembly Integration and Test centers (AIT)
• Platform and payloads equipment.
Cooperation with Russian FederationLong-term cooperation in the field of launch vehicles:
- STARSEM SAS since 1996.
Joint venture between Roscosmos and TsSKB-Progress from Russian side, Arianspace and Airbus DS from European side (26 successful launches).
- EUROCKOT GmbH since 1995.
Joint venture between Airbus DS (51%) and Khrunichev Space Center (49%).
Airbus DS investments in launcher reconstruction. (10 successful launches from Plesetsk Cosmodrome).
- SOUYZ at Kourou. Joint investment by Russia and France. 14 launchers ordered with an option to 7 launchers. 4 launches scheduled in 2014.
Partnership in spacecraft industry.- Cooperation with RSC “Energia” for telecommunication satellite production – Joint venture “Energia SAT”
- 2005 – "SYNERTECH". The joint venture between JSC "Russian Space Systems" and Airbus Defence and Space. Equipment supply, technology transfer equipment payloads production; development and production of Russian subsystems and payload equipment using European technology and Airbus DS standards (for the purchase of electronic component base, manufacturing, test and integration, quality control).
- Following the joint decision of Ministry of Communications and the Russian Space Agency, Airbus DS carried out training for the Russian space industry through practical training for Russian professionals at European premises for design technologies development, manufacturing and testing of unmanned spacecraft (in the frame of Express AM 7).