
Airbus Defence and Space is the space and defense division of Airbus SE, created in 2014 from the merger of Astrium, Airbus Military and Cassidian.
This division encompasses Europe’s space hardware business. It designs and builds satellites (communications, navigation, Earth observation), provides launcher elements via the ArianeGroup partnership, and contributes systems for space exploration and defense. The Airbus Space Systems group also works on programs like the Orion crew vehicle and European space station projects. With about 40,000 employees worldwide, Airbus Defence and Space is the second largest space company globally.
12 years of operation