The Swiss

Space IndustryThe Fine Art of High Technology

Dr. Umberto Somaini former President, Swiss Space Industries Group

Just a few years after the launch of

Sputnik Ithe Swiss space industry emerged

in the frame of Europ‘s first

science spacecraft

ESRO

Testing the ESRO-1 spacecraft

1968

Integrating the ESRO-2B spacecraft

1968

From the beginnings…

… to modern Space Technology

Space

Technology

today

• 17 Member States

• Budget: ~ 2‘900 M€

• Swiss Contribution

~140 MCHF

The European Space AgencyESA

This map shows ESA's Member States and the logos of the national bodies

responsible for space in these countries.

is committed to exploit the benefits of space by means of a dedicated

European Space Policy

• Security (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security GMES)

• Environment (GMES, Earth Observation Satellites)

• Traffic (Satellite Navigation System Galileo)

• Economy (Telecommunication Satellites)

• Social Policy (Bridging the Digital Divide: Telecommunication Satellites)

in co-operation with ESA with its competencies in the design and

implementation of space missions.

The European Community

The Evolution of the European Space Market

Data: Eurospace

Commercial Market:• Launchers• Telecom Satellites• Meteo Satellites

Institutional Market:• ESA Programmes• National Programmes• Military Programmes

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005E

€ M

io

institutionell kommerziell

While the institutional space market (driven mainly by ESA) exhibits a fairly constant volume over time, the commercial market undergoes strong ups and downs as a function of the cyclical demand for

launch services and telecommunication spacecraft.

Elements of theSwiss Space Policy

Switzerland

• focuses its space activities on ESA

• guarantees together with its European partners the independent access to space

• exploits the European space assets to implement the national sectorial policies

• fosters the competitivity of the Swiss space sector through the development of specific technological competencies

• supports the scientific exploration of the Universe

Currently under revision!

Data: SSIG, SSO

The Evolution of the Swiss Space Market

The Swiss contribution to ESA and the consolidated turnover of the Swiss space industry

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

MC

HF

institutionell kommerziell CH - Beitrag

Commercial Market:• Launchers• Telecom Satellites• Meteo Satellites

Institutional Market:• ESA Programmes• No National Programmes• No Military Programmes

The Swiss contribution to ESA has been approximately constant in terms of real buying power over the years. Yet the turn-over of the Swiss space industry shows a slight decrease in the institutional market and a growth in the commercial market.

This corroborates its excellent competitivity on the commercial market, but also the increasing pressure exerted by large international companies on the institutional market.

The Swiss Space Industry

The Swiss Space Industry’s Profile

0 10 20 30 40

Space System Software

S/C Environment & Effects

System Design and Verification

Mission Analysis and Space Debris

Quality, Dependability and Safety

Electromagnetics Technology

Components

Materials and Processes

Application Specific Technology

Spacecraft Power

Thermal

Life and Physical Sciences Instr.

On Board Data Systems

Mechanisms and Tribology

Optics and Opto-Electronics

Structures and Pyrotechnics

tech

nolo

gy fi

eld

number of quotes

1) Source: SSIG Survey 2005

relative strength

The Swiss Space Industry

ETH / UNI / FH37%

Apprenticeship48%

HS + additional education

13%

withoutformal

education2%

offers some 600

attractive

job opportunities to

highly qualified

engineers and

technicians

in a fascinating

international

environment.

Examples of the Swiss Space

Industry’s Achievements in

International Space Programmes

The Swiss Space Industry has contributed to all of the 11 currently active ESA science spacecraft

Subsystem CompanyMechanical Ground Support Equipment APCO Technologies, Vevey

Quality Insurance, structural partsHigh Gain Antenna (HGA) Major Assembly and Pointing SystemPower- and Pyro- Check-Out Equipment Clemessy, Pratteln

Independent SW-Verification and Engineering support Captec, Biel

Thermal engineering support Activity Contraves Space AG, Zürich

Solar Array Mechanism Contraves Space AG, Zürich

Reliability Engineering support and structural bracket

Mecanex, Nyon

SW Quality Insurance RST AG, Berg TG

Electrical Ground Support Equipment Simulator Alcatel Space (neu SYDERAL), Gals

Electronics Systems for HGA Pointing Mechanism ETEL, Môtiers

HTS, Wallisellen

The Swiss Space Industry’s Participation in Spacecraft Development (example: ESA’s Rosetta comet mission)

Subsystem ComapnyStruktur, Ionenoptik, Thermaldesign für DFMS

Verschlussmechanismus für RTOF und DFMS

Struktur, Ionenoptik, Thermaldesign für RTOF APCO Technologies SA

Elektronik für COPS, Data Processing Unit montena emc sa

Ionen Optik für DFMS, Ionenquellen BVE EMPA

Laserschweissen Schutzgastechnik

Präzisionsteile für DFMS Styner + Bienz FormTech Ltd.

Oberflächenbehandlungen Collini-Flühmann AG

Funkenerosion von Gittern (COPS) EROWA, Rheinfelden

Ionenquelle DFMS Mecanex

Abschlussventil DFMS PhiTec

Flugventil RTOF Prophysik

Vakuum-Durchführungen COPS Meili Cryotechnik

COPS, Ingenieurleistungen Buffat Engineering

Isolationsmaterial Romabau

COPS Konzipierung Helbling Technik

Thermalanalyse INTEC (Spin-Off FH Bern)

Hochspannungskomponenten AIP-Wild

COPS Keramik-Leiterplatten Metalux

Contraves Space AG

The Swiss Space Industry’s Participation in Instrument Development (example: the Rosina Mass Spectrometer for ESA’s Rosetta comet mission)

The Swiss Space Industry has developed atomic rubidium clocks for navigation satellites

featuring a stability of 3 seconds in 1 million years

The Swiss Space Industry has developed a laser-based inter-satellite link system with a transmission rate in excess of 1 GBit / s over 80’000 km

… and Many Fascinating New Projects are ahead like for example

The BepiColombo

Laser Altimeter (BELA)

for ESA’s

forthcoming

mission to

planet Mercury

ExoMars aims at further

characterising the biological

environment on Mars in preparation

for robotic missions and then human

exploration.

The ESA Aurora Space Exploration Programme

The

Small Geostationary

general-purpose

telecommunication

satellite

platform

The ESA Telecommunications Programme

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA)

Einstein's theory of general relativity, predicts that motions of mass produce propagating vibrations that travel through spacetime at the speed of light. LISA will sense vibrations of the fabric of spacetime itself.

The Swiss Space Industry’s Participation

in ESA’s Launcher Programme

Payload fairing

The heavy lift launch vehicle Ariane 5 has acquireda 50% share in the global commercial launcher market! !

The Swiss Space Industry

has developed and built the payload fairings for all generations of European Launch Vehicles as well as for the US launchers Titan III Commercial and the Atlas V-500 launcher

The Ariane 5

payload fairing separation

test in the world’s largest

vacuum chamber of NASA

in Ohio, USA

The Companies of the Swiss Space Industry Group…Acutronic (Schweiz) AG, 8608 Bubikon

AEO-Aerospace Engineering Office, 8855 Wangen

Apco Technologies SA, 1800 Vevey 1

Art of Technology AG, 8005 Zürich

Ascom (Schweiz) AG, 3000 Bern 14

Clemessy (Switzerland) AG, 4053 Basel

Condor S.A., 2853 Courfaivre

CSEM Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Micro- technique SA, 2007 Neuchâtel

Fisba Optik AG, 9016 St. Gallen

NEW AMBROSETTI TECHNOLOGIES SA, 6928 Manno

Oerlikon Space AG, 8052 Zürich

Precicast SA, 6883 Novazzano

RUAG Aerospace, 6032 Emmen

SYDERAL SA, 3238 Gals

Vibro-Meter SA, 1701 Fribourg

… are welcoming young talents