DGAP-News: OHB AG / Key word(s): Incoming Orders OHB AG: OHB Sweden wins AOCS and Chemical Propulsion System contracts for Solar Orbiter 15.11.2012 / 10:59 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Solna, November 15, 2012 - OHB Sweden, a subsidiary of the European space and technology group OHB, has been selected by Astrium as contractor for the Attitude and Orbit Control System (AOCS) and the Chemical Propulsion System (CPS) for the Solar Orbiter mission that will perform close-up observations of the Sun. With these contracts, OHB Sweden builds on its experience in delivering advanced satellites and subsystems to innovative and spectacular space missions. Both contracts have a total volume of EUR 34,4 million. Solar Orbiter is the first mission in ESA's Cosmic Vision programme to start its implementation phase and is scheduled for launch in 2017. The mission lifetime will be 7 years. Solar Orbiter will study the Sun in detail and its effects on the solar system. The spacecraft will carry a suite of complementary instruments that will measure the particles, fields and waves of the plasma through which it travels, and at the same time make observations of the Sun's surface and outer atmosphere, the photosphere and corona. At its closest point Solar Orbiter will be closer to the Sun than the planet Mercury, at a distance of 0.28 Astronomical Units (42 million kilometres), in an orbit that takes it out of the ecliptic plane. It will be one of the closest approaches of the Sun by any spacecraft. At its closest approach, where sunlight is thirteen times more intense than it is for satellites orbiting the Earth, Solar Orbiter must survive intense thermal radiation. To achieve this, the design includes a heat shield and incorporates new high-temperature solar array technology. To position itself in this challenging orbit, Solar Orbiter will make a complex series of gravitational-assist fly-bys past both Earth and Venus. The completion of these manoeuvres will require a very advanced and highly autonomous AOCS and a Chemical Propulsion System. From this orbit, it can perform long-duration observations of the same region of the Sun's surface, and have visibility of the Sun's polar regions. The AOCS provides all the functionalities required to control the spacecraft attitude and rates, and to perform orbit correction manoeuvres during all phases of the mission. The system consists of a dedicated set of sensors (Star Tracker, Inertial Measurement Unit, Fine Sun Sensor), and a dedicated set of actuators (Reaction Wheels). The Solar Orbiter Chemical Propulsion System will provide the required delta-V for the interplanetary orbit corrections and the attitude control required by AOCS. The design is that of a conventional bi-propellant chemical propulsion system. 'Going to the Moon with SMART-1 was for us a thrilling challenge! We now take the next step, the Sun, and again we get the opportunity to show our competence and ability to build demanding space systems at the edge of technology', says Gierth Olsson, Managing Director of OHB Sweden. The AOCS department head at OHB Sweden, Dr. Per Bodin, comments: 'We are proud to participate in the Solar Orbiter mission by providing one of the most critical subsystems. This great confidence confirms the solid expertise and experience within our department.' The Propulsion department head at OHB Sweden, Alain Demairé, comments: 'This is the first CPS made in Sweden and allows complementing our solid expertise and experience of Electric propulsion with one of the most efficient conventional technologies. It is an opportunity for our company and we look forward to cooperating with the very knowledgeable Astrium team who pioneered this technology in Europe.' The Sun is vital for life on Earth, but can also cause major problems for satellites and Earth based systems. The Sun releases bursts of high-energy particles (Coronal Mass Ejections), which can disrupt electrical power distribution systems, cause computers to crash, damage satellites and endanger astronauts. Solar Orbiter will provide scientific data to better understand the mechanisms on the Sun that cause these violent and disruptive outbursts. Solar Orbiter is a collaboration between ESA and NASA - a launcher will be provided by NASA and one instrument and one sensor will be contributed from the United States. Contact information OHB Sweden: Bengt Larsson, VP Business Development Tel.: +46 - 8 627 62 33 Mobile: +46 - 70 575 03 02 Email: bengt.larsson@ohb-sweden.se Web site: www.ohb-sweden.se End of Corporate News --------------------------------------------------------------------- 15.11.2012 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. DGAP's Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de --------------------------------------------------------------------- Language: English Company: OHB AG Karl-Ferdinand-Braun-Str. 8 28359 Bremen Germany Phone: +49 (0)421 2020 8 Fax: +49 (0)421 2020 613 E-mail: ir@ohb.de Internet: www.ohb.de ISIN: DE0005936124 WKN: 593612 Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, München, Stuttgart End of News DGAP News-Service --------------------------------------------------------------------- 193388 15.11.2012
DGAP-News: OHB AG: OHB Sweden wins AOCS and Chemical Propulsion System contracts for Solar Orbiter
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