NASA satellites for deep space missions will be protected by a container from RUAG Space during travel on Earth. The interplanetary NASA mission Europa Clipper will use RUAG Space’s multipurpose trolley.
RUAG Space, a leading supplier to the space industry, received a direct order from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, and will deliver a large satellite container and a multipurpose trolley for NASA satellites. The total order volume for both container and trolley is worth approximately 2 million Euros.
Reusable container for three NASA missions
From 2022 onwards this container will enable ground handling of satellites on Earth for up to three NASA missions, including the deep space mission Europa Clipper, the Psyche asteroid mission and the NISAR earth observation mission from NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO. The transport container protects the precious satellites during their travel from the production facility to the spaceport and is equipped with a special damping system and climate control. “Satellites are highly sensitive and expensive products. Our customized containers make sure that this precious cargo isprotected in the best possible way during transport,” says Luis de León Chardel, Executive Vice President at RUAG Space. “To receive an order directly from NASA is a great acknowledgement of our expertise”, adds León Chardel. Containers from RUAG Space ordered by satellite manufacturers have already been used for various NASA missions.
More than 60 containers delivered
In total RUAG Space so far has delivered more than 60 customized spacecraft containers to governmental customers like ESA, NASA and to commercial customers like Ball Aerospace or Maxar. “Our containers are used for a broad range of missions, from science missions, earth observations satellites to commercial satellite constellations,” says León Chardel. From the more than 60 delivered containers a third went to the USA. “The United States are a very important market for us. The new orders are a further step to expand our business in the USA.”
NASA’s Europa mission will use multipurpose trolley
A multipurpose trolley from RUAG Space will support the interplanetary NASA spacecraft Europa Clipper during integration. The trolley can rotate and tilt the spacecraft during integration. The Europa Clipper spacecraft will conduct a detailed survey of Jupiter’s moon Europa to determine whether the icy moon could harbor conditions suitable for life. The spacecraft is scheduled to launch in 2024. In total, RUAG Space delivered more than 80 Multi-Purpose Trolleys to institutional and commercial customers in Europe and USA.
About RUAG Space
RUAG Space is the leading supplier to the space industry in Europe, and has a growing presence in the United States. Around 1,300 employees across six countries (Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, Germany, USA and Finland) develop and manufacture products for satellites and launch vehicles—for both the institutional and commercial space market. RUAG Space is part of RUAG International, a Swiss technology group, which is divided into four divisions: Space, Aerostructures, MRO International and Ammotec. Visit www.ruag.com/space, or view our RUAG Space product portfolio video: https://youtu.be/qNbSjUdlXxQ
