OHB Sweden is advancing spacecraft propulsion technologies through a comprehensive portfolio of electric, liquid, and cold gas propulsion systems designed to support missions from early spacecraft development through launch, on-orbit operations, and end-of-life disposal. The company develops complete propulsion subsystems for commercial, institutional and scientific missions, covering mission definition, system design, manufacturing, integration, testing and operational support across Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Geostationary Orbit (GEO) and interplanetary exploration.

The company's propulsion expertise spans the complete propulsion system lifecycle, including propulsion architecture definition, hardware procurement, propulsion component integration, tubing accommodation, thermal-hydraulic analysis, plume impingement analysis, spacecraft charging assessments, control algorithm development, FMECA and FDIR safety analyses, and subsystem integration and testing. Working closely with its mission analysis, Attitude and Orbit Control System (AOCS), and Assembly, Integration and Verification (AIV) teams, OHB Sweden optimizes propulsion systems to meet mission-specific performance and operational requirements.

A major focus of OHB Sweden's portfolio is electric propulsion, which provides orbit transfer and station-keeping capabilities while significantly reducing spacecraft mass to increase payload capacity. The company has supplied electric propulsion subsystems for platforms including the SmallGEO telecommunications satellite family and the fully electric Electra platform, where electric propulsion enables both orbital transfer and long-term station keeping. The company also has extensive experience with monopropellant, bipropellant and cold gas propulsion technologies, allowing propulsion solutions to be tailored for a wide variety of spacecraft and mission profiles.

OHB Sweden complements propulsion system development with in-house manufacturing, assembly, integration and testing capabilities. These include tube etching, bending, marking and welding, radiographic inspection of all welds, cleanliness verification, precision pre-assembly on dedicated jigs, thermal hardware installation, global and local leak testing, transport conditioning and final spacecraft-level propulsion subsystem integration when required. These manufacturing capabilities enable the company to maintain quality control throughout propulsion system production and qualification.

The company's propulsion technologies have supported numerous European space missions. OHB Sweden implemented the electric propulsion technology used on ESA's SMART-1 lunar mission and has contributed propulsion systems for missions including Solar Orbiter, Euclid, PLATO, Biomass, Ariel, and CHORUS. The company has also implemented Hall Effect Thrusters on GEO telecommunications satellites such as Hispasat AG1 and Electra, while providing propulsion solutions that support orbit transfer, station keeping, collision avoidance, orbital manoeuvres and end-of-life passivation across scientific, commercial, and telecommunications missions.

By combining electric, liquid, monopropellant, bipropellant and cold gas propulsion technologies with advanced engineering, manufacturing, and qualification capabilities, OHB Sweden delivers integrated propulsion systems for modern spacecraft. Its end-to-end approach supports customers from mission concept through operational phases, enabling reliable propulsion performance for Earth observation, telecommunications, scientific exploration and deep-space missions.

About OHB Sweden

OHB Sweden is a Swedish space company headquartered in Kista, Stockholm, and a subsidiary of OHB SE. The company develops complete satellite missions, spacecraft subsystems, propulsion systems and Attitude and Orbit Control Systems (AOCS) for commercial, scientific and institutional customers. With more than three decades of experience, OHB Sweden has contributed to numerous European and international space missions spanning Earth observation, telecommunications, lunar exploration and deep-space science.

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