Saab Ericsson Space wins space computer contract
Saab Ericsson Space wins space computer contract Saab Ericsson Space, Göteborg, Sweden, has been awarded an order for additionally forty Ariane 5 onboard computers. The contract signed with Matra Marconi Space of Toulouse, covers development and manufacture work for twenty launchers and deliveries will be in progress until 2003. The task of Saab Ericsson Space's onboard computers, there are two in the Ariane 5 version, is to monitor and guide the vehicle during the twenty minutes' long launch into the targeted altitude for satellite separation. The computers are robustly constructed for highest stability with a built- in fault tolerance increasing the reliability in the event of disturbances. Saab Ericsson Space has been the main supplier of Ariane's onboard computers since the start of the launcher programme in 1979. Until now 129 vehicles have been launched from Kourou in French Guiane, all of them carrying equipment from Saab Ericsson Space. Both Ariane 4 and Ariane 5 will commercially operate the years to come depending on demanded lift force. The launcher payload consists primarily of telecommunications satellites but also satellites for weather forecast, Earth observation and scientific purposes. Saab Ericsson Space is an independent supplier of space equipment. The company develops and manufactures computers, antenna systems, microwave electronics and guidance and separation systems for launch vehicles, satellites and other spacecraft, and is the world leader in several of its product areas. The headquarters is located in Gothenburg, a Technical Division is at Saab in Linköping and there are subsidiaries in Austria and the USA. Of the company's 650 employees, more than half hold Master's or Doctor's degrees in technical fields. Saab Ericsson Space is jointly owned by Saab and Ericsson. Saab is Northern Europe's leading high technology company and operates within the defense and aerospace areas and offers leading-edge products and systems built on sophisticated information technology. Its business areas are Infomatics, Aerospace, Dynamics, Technical Support & Services, Space and Aviation Services. Saab has 16,800 employees. For more information, please contact: Iréne Svensson, Communications DirectorTel +46 31 735 4463 This and other information is also available at www.space.se ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/05/05/20000505BIT00320/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/05/05/20000505BIT00320/bit0002.pdf