Amazon satellites instead of Starlink: this is how RUAG wants to go into space

The endless plains are Ruag International’s business – at least in the future. At the request of the Federal Council, the former federally owned weapons company must focus on space travel, as it already does today under the name Beyond Gravity (formerly Ruag Space).

To achieve this goal, he is engaged in selling off-world companies step by step. The most striking example: in 2022, the Italian arms manufacturer Beretta took over the ammunition trader Ruag Ammotec. Ruag International 2021 brought in a lot of money in the wake of the Donald Trump madness and the corona paranoia in the US. There were also two more sales. The number of employees has therefore more than halved from 6,100 to almost 3,000.

The sale of the three units also had an important share in the profit at EBIT level last year. This increased from CHF 70 million in the previous year to CHF 178 million. The sale raised 115 million Swiss francs. At the same time, sales fell by 24 percent to CHF 945 million Ruag International boss André Wall explained to the media on Wednesday.

The field of aerostructures i.e. aircraft structure construction is still part of the business. The aircraft manufacturers Airbus, Boeing and Pilatus are among the customers here. Thanks to the strong recovery in aviation, turnover increased by 12.6 percent to 235 million.

But Ruag International is also confronted with bottlenecks and delivery problems, Wall confirmed when asked by CH Media. The heads of Swiss and SR Technics also pointed out this problem in recent interviews. According to Wall, the situation is currently manageable.

Project Kuiper to increase turnover

Despite the good development, the Aerostructures division is also being sold in order to devote itself fully to space travel. According to Wall, discussions are underway with interested parties and he is confident a deal will be finalized before the end of the year. The German also makes no secret of the fact that he hopes for a high price due to the current market situation: “The timing is perfect.”

Wall wants to launch Beyond Gravity. Turnover in the aerospace sector rose by almost 12 percent to CHF 356 million last year. The order book has meanwhile increased by 10 percent to CHF 744 million. Various large orders have contributed to this.

Wall hopes to make the most of the partnership with Amazon. The American internet giant wants to launch 3236 satellites into space as part of the Kuiper project and is prepared to invest several billion dollars for this. The satellites are intended to provide global broadband internet access. And Beyond Gravity is on board twice.

Last spring, the company was able to announce the collaboration. Beyond Gravity will develop and produce a so-called dispensing system for Amazon’s satellite constellations.

In addition, the company, which is moving its headquarters from Zurich-Seebach to the Circle at Zurich Airport in the summer, is also supplying fairings to protect Amazon’s satellites from launch to deployment.

According to Wall, the first test satellites are the target for May. He does not say when these will actually get off the ground. According to previous reports, Amazon plans to launch from 2024.

Alabama XL plant under construction

To handle the order volume, Beyond Gravity must significantly expand its production capacity. At the American site in Decatur, Alabama, these will even be doubled, creating 200 additional jobs. In the longer term, Wall even expects 350 new jobs.

The new building in the southern state of the US has an area of ​​more than 250,000 square meters. The installation will be commissioned early next year. In Sweden, where Beyond Gravity also makes satellite separation systems, Wall wants to hire 90 to 100 new employees.

Wall also announces expansion to Portugal for the IT and mechanical engineering sectors. Not only for cost reasons, he emphasizes, but also because the market has thinned out. Wall refers to the Swiss Post, which also announced the construction of an IT location in Portugal in the fall due to a shortage of skilled workers.

(aargauerzeitung.ch)