Europe's largest aerospace company signed an agreement at the MAKS air show with satellite manufacturer Russian Space Systems (RKS) to launch a production line for satellite hardware, newspaper Izvestia reported Wednesday, citing RKS chief Andrei Tyulin.
Though sanctions discouraged many Western firms from participating in the MAKS air show — the largest business event for the Russian aviation industry — companies such as Airbus and the U.S. aerospace giant Boeing, which make civilian air and space products, took part in the forum.
One of the biggest contracts signed so far between Russian and Western aerospace firms was an agreement between Airbus Defense and Space, a subsidiary of the Airbus corporation — Europe's largest aerospace firm — with RKS to launch production of satellite components at the facilities of RKS subsidiary Sintertek, Tyulin told Izvestia.
Tyulin did not specify how much the contract was worth, or how big the production lines would be. Requests for comments went unanswered by both Airbus and RKS as of press time.
“We have prepared a joint program with Airbus to develop and produce a wide range of electronic systems and components for space applications … We immediately agreed that Sinertek's products will be offered not only on the Russian market but also for export,” Tyulin was quoted by Izvestia as saying.
Sinertek's components will be used in navigation and earth observation satellites, as well as an array of other spacecraft, Tyulin said. The first product line to be launched under the agreement will be power units for Russia's new Glonass-K navigation satellites.
The head of Airbus Defense and Space's Moscow representative offices, Vladimir Terekhov, told Izvestia that meetings would be held at the MAKS air show on Wednesday to discuss final details and implementation of the agreement.