RUAG Space expands electronics competence in Germany

RUAG Space says that it has begun expanding its electronics expertise in Germany. At the Coswig location (near Dresden, Saxony), navigation computers are currently being tested for, among other things, the European Space Agency ESA’s environmental satellite “Sentinel”. The navigation computers determine the position of satellites to within a few centimetres and thus enable a high-precision evaluation of the measured data recorded by the satellites. The navigation computers were developed and manufactured at the RUAG Space location in Vienna and are now undergoing intensive testing under conditions of space in the thermal vacuum at the German site, the company writes in a press release Center of Competence for Space Microelectronics “We see a great demand for our navigation computers. Therefore, we are now also using our German site for the completion of space electronics and want to expand our expertise in Saxony with an electronics centre, “states Peter Guggenbach, CEO of RUAG Space, in the release. “The Dresden region is one of the European competence centres in the field of microelectronics. It is therefore very attractive for us to expand our electronics activities in Saxony. In addition, Saxony offers ideal conditions for further growth, especially with regard to ‘New Space’ with ‘Silicon Saxony’, the local automotive industry and the academic environment.” Unique environmental monitoring program The Sentinel satellites are part of the Copernicus satellite fleet, which is set to build a world-class environmental monitoring program by 2030; totalling 20 satellites. The Sentinel-3 satellites precisely measure the land, ice and sea surfaces and support environmental and climate monitoring. The Copernicus program is coordinated and operated by the EU, the satellites are developed by the ESA.