Space

Airbus’ Bartolomeo platform was launched and robotically attached to the ISS Columbus Module in 2020. Following the final connection of the cabling, which requires Extravehicular Activity (EVA), the platform will be ready for its in-space commissioning in the coming weeks.

Airbus built Europe’s first mission to Mars – Mars Express which was launched in 2003. Airbus also designed and manufactured the surface lander Beagle 2 (carried to Mars by Mars Express), which was unfortunately lost after its release.

Airbus has designed and built the ESA ExoMars rover vehicle, Europe’s first rover to another planet. The ExoMars rover was built in a special bio-burden cleanroom in Stevenage (UK) to ensure it meets planetary protection guidelines.

Airbus is to build the Earth Return Orbiter that will collect the samples from Martian orbit and return them to Earth. Airbus is the European Space Agency (ESA)’s prime contractor for the Mars Sample Return’s Earth Return Orbiter (ERO) – the first ever spacecraft to bring samples back to Earth from Mars.

Airbus is working on the next study design phase (B2) of the Sample Fetch Rover (SFR) study on behalf of ESA as part of the Mars Sample Return mission. In 2026, SFR will be launched to Mars and search for the samples left behind by Perseverance. IT will collect and carry them back to the lander and place them in a Mars Ascent Vehicle which will launch them into orbit around Mars.

Key Airbus technology will be on board Perseverance Mars rover: the MEDA meteorological station will provide scientists with valuable Mars weather data and the High Gain Antenna System will ensure a high-speed comms link with Earth for the duration of the MARS2020 mission.

Key Airbus technology will be on board Perseverance Mars rover: the MEDA meteorological station will provide scientists with valuable Mars weather data and the High Gain Antenna System will ensure a high-speed comms link with Earth for the duration of the MARS2020 mission.

With the new Eurostar Neo platform, the payload capacity can be greatly increased, with the Communication Module able to accommodate up to 2 tons of payload and provide payload power of more than 25kW. EUTELSAT HOTBIRD 13F and 13G will both have spacecraft power of 22 kW and a launch mass of only 4,500 kg.

Airbus’ Portsmouth team delivered the EUTELSAT HOTBIRD 13F Communications Module to Toulouse at the start of January 2021 where it joined the Stevenage and Toulouse produced Service Module. The EUTELSAT HOTBIRD 13F satellite is now beginning its final series of tests in preparation for its launch.

Biomass, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) forest measuring satellite is taking shape at Airbus’ site in Stevenage with the Structure Model Platform completed.

Integration of the European Service Module (ESM) for Orion, the American crewed spacecraft for the Artemis programme, at Airbus' Bremen site.

NASA Orion spacecraft with the first European Service Module (ESM-1) integrated at NASA.

Structure of the third European Service Module (ESM-3) for Orion, the American crewed spacecraft for the Artemis programme, at Airbus' Bremen site.

The execution of lunar missions, including landing on the Moon and setting up upcoming lunar space station, Gateway, is a complex and challenging task for the international community. It requires a precisely planned chain of supply and logistics missions. The Airbus Moon Cruiser concept supports these challenges

SEOSAT Ingenio ©ESA

The European Space Agency (ESA) and Airbus have agreed on service orders for two independent payload missions to be launched to the Bartolomeo payload hosting facility on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2022 and 2024, respectively.

Airbus was awarded the Skynet 6A contract in July 2020 and teams across its sites in Stevenage, Portsmouth and Hawthorn have been working on the programme to achieve this key milestone.

Space Highlighs 2020 Infographic

Airbus has signed a contract with Intelsat to build two OneSat satellites operating in multiple frequency bands for Intelsat’s next-generation software-defined network. The contract was signed on 31 December 2020.

CSO-2 is the second of the three-satellite CSO constellation, which will provide extremely high resolution geo information intelligence to the French Armed Forces and to its partners in the frame of the MUSIS cooperation programme (Multinational Space-based Imaging System for surveillance, reconnaissance and observation).

Five years protecting our planet with Sentinel-2A

JUICE infographic

Sentinel-6 infographic (landscape)

EarthCare Infographic

RemoveDebris Spacecraft Infographic

RemoveDebris VBN Infographic

RemoveDebris Net Infographic

RemoveDEBRIS infographic

El sistema avanzado de circuito cerrado (ACLS)

The Advanced Closed-Loop System (ACLS)

Le système ACLS (Advanced Closed-Loop System for the ISS)

Das ACLS-System (Advanced Closed-Loop System for the ISS)

Orion ESM - Manking on the way to the Moon and beyond

Orion ESM - Voyage autour de la Lune, alimenté par le Module de Service Européen (ESM) d'Airbus

Orion ESM - A journey around the Moon powered by Airbus-built European Service Module (ESM)

Orion ESM - Un viaje alrededor de la Luna, impulsado por el Módulo de Servicio Europeo (ESM) construido por Airbus

Orion ESM - L'humanité s'envole vers la Lune et au-delà

Orion ESM - Eine Reise um den Mond mit dem von Airbus gebauten europäischen Servicemodul (ESM)

Orion ESM - La humanidad, camino a la Luna y más allá

Orion ESM - Die Menschheit auf dem Weg zum Mond und darüber hinaus