Space robotics firm Redwire Space Luxembourg is opening a new product line in the country after supply chain disruptions opened up a fresh market.
Covid, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and a global surge in demand for satellites have disrupted the supply of specific electronic components such as activators.
Redwire saw an opportunity and, using its space robotics heritage, has won a contract to manufacture mechanisms that will rotate solar panels on satellites.
“We managed to develop a spin off product from our robotic system in just one year,” said Jaroslaw Jaworski, Redwire Space Luxembourg general manager, adding: “Our new Solar Array Driving Mechanism, used to point satellite’s solar panels is sort of low hanging fruit solution, a response on rapid growth of small satellite manufacturing market in US and Europe, where satellite producers need new low-cost components.”
“[…] a response on rapid growth of small satellite manufacturing market in US and Europe, where satellite producers need new low-cost components.”
Jaroslaw Jaworski, Redwire Space Luxembourg
Redwire aims to establish the new production line in Luxembourg in 2023.
The firm first established offices in Luxembourg in 2019 as Made In Space before it was acquired in 2020 by Redwire, a global group publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange.
“Redwire is a publicly traded company and our investors expect us of course to grow. Therefore, additionally to our existing core business, we are looking to create new products for near-term markets. And it’s not only in Luxembourg, but also in the US and Belgium,” said Jaworski.
In 2022 Redwire Space Luxembourg moved its 30-strong team from the Paul Wurth Incubator to a private space in Gasperich. The 1,000-square-metre-site is equally split between offices and laboratories.
“This space will allow us to grow to 80-100 people over the next few years,” the general manager said.