UK Space Facilities Airbus Defence & Space

Airbus Defence & Space – Portsmouth Site

For over five decades the Airbus Defence and Space site of Portsmouth in Hampshire has been the lynchpin for the development and construction of Telecommunications, Scientific, Earth Observation and Meteorology Satellite Payloads, Satellite Telecommunications Products and Ground Terminals for satellite communications. The site has some of the best equipped and state-of-the art development, assembly, test and production facilities in the space industry with a strong focus on RF equipment and payloads.

The Portsmouth site of Airbus Defence and Space offers a complete suite of Dynamic, Thermal, and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) test facilities. The extensive range of facilities provides customers with a ‘one stop’ test house capable of handling products from mobile phones to spacecraft payloads. Airbus DS services cover a variety of environmental simulation tests (including thermal vacuum, vibration, and shock), as well as EMC tests.

Airbus DS has been conducting tests at the Portsmouth site for over fifty years. This experience has allowed Airbus DS to create one of the most well-equipped and expertly staffed facilities of its kind. The Vibration, Shock, Thermal, Climatic and Vacuum test facilities are fully backed by consultancy support.

The Airbus Portsmouth range of space development and test facilities constitute a one-stop-shop for many of its own programmes, but Airbus makes its vibration, shock and EMC facilities available to external customers and is keen to add access to its clean rooms to this list.

This facility is available for UK Space companies to use: for further information please send an email to the address provided below.

Enquiries: test-portsmouth@airbus.com

Facilities

Airbus DS Portsmouth - Clean Rooms
The Portsmouth site’s principal space integration area is a large clean-room known as ‘Neptune’ used for the integration of spacecraft sub-systems, payload modules and instruments.
Airbus DS Portsmouth - EMC Facilities
The Portsmouth site has a comprehensive range of EMC chambers, test rooms, and equipment. The Portsmouth Triton Antenna Range and EMC facility is one of the largest of its type in Europe - catering for an extensive range of Antenna and EMC measurements.
Airbus DS Portsmouth - Shock and Drop Test Facilities
Airbus DS has created a well-equipped and expertly staffed facility able to perform a wide range of shock tests and data analyses.
Airbus DS Portsmouth - Space Electronics Manufacturing Facilities
Airbus Portsmouth has a full complement of production facilities for space electronics, fully compliant with ESA and other manufacturing standards.
Airbus DS Portsmouth - Thermal Vacuum Facilities
Airbus's TV facilities simulate the severe conditions of space, the computer-controlled thermal vacuum chambers can subject units to the extremes of their working environment.
Airbus DS Portsmouth - Vibration Facilities
Airbus DS Portsmouth has a range of shakers with advanced digital control and analysis systems able to test a wide range of products ranging from component level, to large payloads of several tonnes.