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EADS Astrium is an aerospace subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) and is dedicated to providing civil and defence space systems and services. In 2008, Astrium had a turnover of €4.3 billion and 15,000 employees in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands.^[1]

Contents 1 Business Layout 2 Corporate history 2.1 Space tourism 3 References 4 External links 4.1 Films

[edit] Business Layout

Its three main areas of activity are :

• EADS Astrium Satellites for spacecraft and ground segment
• EADS Astrium Space Transportation for launchers and orbital infrastructure
• EADS Astrium Services for the development and delivery of satellite services

[edit] Corporate history

In June 2006, EADS Astrium, EADS Space Transportation and EADS Space Services were merged into a single company; EADS SPACE.^{[citation needed]} The next month, EADS announced^{[citation needed]} that the newly merged company had been renamed "ASTRIUM - an EADS company". In December, the company's logo was unveiled (above), with the announcement from both CEOs that the space division would instead be called "EADS Astrium".

The new logo is a combination of the never released ASTRIUM logo and of the EADS logo, therefore a composite look.

[edit] Space tourism

In June 2007, EADS Astrium announced it would be entering the space tourism sector. On June 20 2007 the company unveiled a model of the space jet, a one-stage sub-orbital hybrid craft, utilising both jet and rocket engines. Carrying four passengers, the space jet would take off from regular airports using conventional jet engines. Once flying to the needed altitude the rockets would then be fired. After reaching its final altitude of 100 km, passengers would experience weightlessness for three minutes. Tickets were expected to cost up to €200,000 with flights possibly beginning in 2012.^[2] EADS estimated development cost will approach 1 billion Euros. On January 28 2009

EADS Astrium confirmed in March that the program was on hold indefinitely.^[3]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official web site

[edit] Films

• http://www.astrium.eads.net/static/eads-astrium-space-tourism-high.mpeg
• http://www.astrium.eads.net/static/eads-astrium-space-tourism-low.mpeg
• Brochure

v • d • e Space tourism (see list of private spaceflight companies) Major private companies Bigelow Aerospace · EADS Astrium · Mojave Aerospace Ventures · Rocketplane Kistler · Space Adventures · SpaceX · Scaled Composites · Virgin Galactic Organizations ARCASPACE · Astronaute Club Européen · LiftPort Group · Commercial Spaceflight Federation · Space Tourism Society · Association of Autonomous Astronauts · Space Frontier Foundation Successful spacecraft SpaceShipOne · Genesis I · Genesis II Living in space Space station · Space habitat · Space colonization · Commercialization of space · Suborbital spaceplane · Space currency Major Space competitions Ansari X Prize · Google Lunar X Prize · America's Space Prize · N-Prize · Centennial Challenges (Elevator:2010 & MoonROx)