Société pour l'étude et la réalisation d'engins balistiques
Airbus is a major player in the space industry, operating as a manufacturer and service provider. They develop and build spacecraft, satellites for telecommunications, navigation, and Earth observation, and also contribute to space exploration missions. Airbus partners with organizations like ESA and NASA, providing critical hardware like the Orion European Service Module and participating in missions such as JUICE and the Artemis program.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
Airbus UpNext SpaceRAN aims to enable standardized global connectivity for commercial, defense, and governmental use.
Embedding gNodeB capabilities in the Airbus satellite payload is intended to enable more efficient and flexible network operations in orbit.
The SpaceRAN program is planned to culminate in the launch of an Airbus Low Earth Orbit satellite carrying an advanced regenerative payload with on-board signal processing and integrated gNodeB functionality.
The Airbus UpNext SpaceRAN demonstrator will investigate both broadband connectivity and direct-to-handheld 5G non-terrestrial network modes.
Thales Alenia Space and Airbus teams conducted dozens of vertical drop tests of a full-scale descent module replica in Turin, Italy over more than one month.
The Airbus UpNext SpaceRAN project addresses technical challenges in 5G non-terrestrial networks, including seamless integration between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks and robust mobility management across dynamic satellite orbits.
Airbus and its partners, including Keysight, are working to create an interoperable ecosystem to underpin next-generation global communication services.
ACS won a contract in December 2024 to build 100 satellites for Eutelsat's OneWeb constellation after Airbus assumed full ownership.
ArianeGroup is jointly owned by Airbus and Safran.
Airbus implemented the new organisation for its Defence and Space division effective 1 July 2025.
Project Bromo is an initiative to consolidate space activities among multiple European companies, with consolidating Airbus's satellite business as a first step.
Airbus Defence and Space and OneWeb created the joint venture Airbus OneWeb Satellites in January 2016 to produce 900 satellites for OneWeb's broadband constellation.
Under Project Bromo ownership plans, Leonardo and Thales would each hold a 32.5% stake and Airbus would hold a 35% majority stake.
Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEYS) announced a collaboration with Airbus UpNext on the SpaceRAN demonstrator on January 20.
The SpaceRAN project is scheduled to deploy a regenerative payload aboard an Airbus Low Earth Orbit satellite.
Airbus announced plans to reorganise its Defence and Space division in October 2024 with a focus on its Space Systems segment.
Airbus Space posted on X on 19 January 2026 an image confirming the SLS rocket on the launch pad and the readiness of the launch system for Artemis II.
Eutelsat sold its share of Airbus OneWeb Satellites to Airbus in January–October 2024, after which the company was renamed Airbus Constellations Satellites (ACS).
The CFDT Airbus Defence & Space release on 18 December stated that ACS is to be absorbed by Airbus Defence and Space.
The Keysight–Airbus UpNext collaboration aligns with broader European initiatives to strengthen technological sovereignty in advanced connectivity and aerospace innovation.