May 18, 2023

OHB Sweden continues on its successful path of building ESA mission propulsion systems

Source: OHB Sweden

OHB Sweden AB, a subsidiary of the space and technology group OHB SE, and Airbus Defence and Space SAS, one of Europe's leading large scale integrators and prime contractor, have signed a contract for the delivery of a propulsion subsystem for the ESA Ariel mission.

OHB Sweden continues its path in becoming Europe’s leader on high end propulsion systems. In addition to ESA missions such as Solar Orbiter (launched 2020), Biomass, Euclid and PLATO, OHB Sweden has started the work to design, manufacture, integrate, test and deliver a monopropellant sub-system to the ESA Cosmic Vision Plan 4^th medium-sized (M4) mission Ariel. The contract is carried out under a program of and funded by the European Space Agency.

Ariel – Atmospheric Remote-sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey.

This mission will study how planets and planetary systems form and evolve by surveying a large, diverse sample of approximately 1000 extrasolar planets, simultaneously in visible and infrared wavelengths. It is the first mission dedicated to measuring the chemical composition and thermal structures of hundreds of transiting exoplanets, enabling planetary science far beyond the boundaries of the Solar System.

Ariel is planned to be launched in 2029.

“With this new contract, OHB Sweden demonstrates again to be a trusted propulsion subsystem supplier to Airbus Defence and Space and ESA. Together with Solar Orbiter, Euclid and PLATO, it means that OHB Sweden is a partner on many of the scientific ESA missions. We are proud to be part of this program that will enable humankind to increase our knowledge and understanding of the universe that we are part of,” said Benoit Mathieu, Managing Director of OHB Sweden.