Scott Nicholas
Airbus Group‘s defense and space business unit will invest approximately $48.2 million to build an integrated technology center in support of efforts to “future-proof” its Friedrichshafen site in Germany.
Airbus said Thursday the center works to expand Hall 6 that currently serves as a satellite integration facility.
“The investment in the new ITC building makes the site a global ‘center of gravity’ of satellite construction,” said Eckard Settelmeyer, head of the Airbus DSÂ Friedrichshafen site.
Settelmeyer said the center will support existing work and facilitate opportunities to secure new projects such as large space telescopes and projects that require ISO 5 clean rooms.
The ITC building serves to consolidate various facilities and cater to different functions performed across four areas that include a central satellite integration hall, integration and laboratory areas for component manufacturing and a transitional area allotted for material and employee airlocks and goods reception.
Construction work will begin in November on the four-story building, which will occupy an estimated 45,000 square feet of space.
Airbus said it anticipates the ITC to begin operations in the summer of 2018.
