WASHINGTON — Swiss satellite and rocket component supplier Ruag Space opened a new factory June 27 at its Linköping, Sweden location, doubling its production capacity.
Ruag Space says the expansion will enable the company to increase output for government and commercial customers in both Europe and the U.S., including OneWeb, one of the company’s major customers. The company’s Linköping factory will build dispensers designed to release 32 OneWeb satellites from Arianespace Soyuz rockets. Ruag Space also builds sounding rocket guidance systems for NASA and ESA at Linköping.
“Having started construction only a year ago, we can now present a tailor made space factory with all new infrastructure that is fundamental for our continued development in Linköping,” Jörgen Remmelg, general manager of Ruag Space in Linköping, said in a June 27 statement. “We are for sure ready to take on new business with this additional capability – contributing critical products to European and US space missions.”
The factory expansion includes a high bay facility with more than 4,000 square meters of space, which the company expects will help cut lead times by 30 percent over the next five years.
Ruag Space has about 500 employees in Sweden, of which 100 work in Linköping. The remaining 400 are based at the company’s Swedish headquarters in Gothenburg. That facility mainly produces electronics systems, such as onboard computers for rockets and spacecraft, and antennas.
Company spokeswoman Nike Mohle said Linköping had 80 employees two years ago, is now at 110, and expects to have 130 in the coming months. In the U.S., Ruag is establishing locations in Alabama, California, Colorado and Florida.
