Airbus satellite hub to be completed by November 2017

Plans call for the structure to be “enclosed” and interior work to begin in just six months. The centre is to begin operations in late summer 2018, and at full capacity up to eight large satellites will be able to be integrated simultaneously. At the heart of the four-storey Integrated Technology Centre, which will have a partial basement and a footprint of 4'250m2, is a central clean room for the development and construction of satellites. Over 2'000m2 in size, the central integration hall of the new structure enables the simultaneous construction of up to eight large satellites and integration of complex subsystems and payloads. This area can be operated in clean room classes ISO 5 to ISO 8 without the need for partitioning into separate rooms that is otherwise standard procedure. The two other wings of the building provide a further 1'000m2 of integration and laboratory space for component manufacturing, and technical areas. The transitional area to the existing integration building will contain material and employee airlocks as well as goods receipt control. The ventilation system of the building, unique in Europe according to Airbus, will enable particle reduction and help to prevent molecular contamination. The unique configuration of the ventilation system cuts operating costs by up to 70 percent compared to conventional system technology and enables clean room classes to be flexibly configured within the available space.