ATG Innovation has officially signed a contract with OHB on Wednesday, November 19th, marking a major milestone in the European Space Agency’s (ESA) ambitious LISA mission. Under this agreement, ATG will deliver the Satellite Central Tube (SCT) for all three spacecraft in the LISA constellation and will lead an Irish consortium that includes ÉireComposites.

Why LISA Matters
LISA – the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna- is a pioneering mission developed by ESA in collaboration with NASA. It will consist of three satellites flying in a triangular formation, separated by 2.5 million kilometres, to detect gravitational waves-ripples in space-time caused by cosmic events such as black hole mergers.

These waves carry information about phenomena that cannot be observed with traditional telescopes, opening a new window into the universe. By measuring changes smaller than the width of a helium atom across millions of kilometres, LISA will allow scientists to study the formation of galaxies, the nature of dark matter, and even test Einstein’s theory of general relativity on cosmic scales.

ATG’s role in this mission is critical The SCT forms the structural backbone of each satellite, designed using ATG’s patented lightweight, high-stiffness grid-stiffened architecture. ÉireComposites will manufacture and assemble these advanced composite structures, ensuring they meet stringent aerospace standards.

Ireland’s Role in Space Innovation
This collaboration highlights Ireland’s growing presence in the global space industry. By combining ATG’s engineering expertise with ÉireComposites’ advanced manufacturing capabilities, the consortium demonstrates how Irish innovation is contributing to one of the most ambitious scientific missions of the century.

from OHB:
“We are delighted to partner with ATG and their Irish consortium on LISA. Their expertise in composite
structures is essential for building spacecraft that can withstand the extreme conditions of deep space.
Together, we are enabling a mission that will transform our understanding of the universe.”

from ATG:
“Leading Ireland’s contribution to LISA is a source of immense pride for ATG. This mission is not just
about engineering, it’s about pushing the boundaries of human knowledge. By delivering the central
structure for all three satellites, we are placing Ireland at the heart of a project that will redefine
astrophysics for generations to come.”

About ATG Innovation
ATG Innovation Ltd., established in 2017 as ATG Europe’s centre of excellence for composite structures in Ireland, specializes in advanced engineering and composite technologies for space applications. The company’s expertise spans the entire development cycle, from conceptual design to full qualification and certification. Learn more at http://www.atg-europe.com

About OHB System AG
OHB System AG is one of Europe’s leading space companies, specializing in the development and integration of satellites and space systems for scientific, commercial, and security applications. For the LISA mission, OHB serves as the prime contractor, responsible for the overall spacecraft design, integration, and delivery to ESA. With decades of experience and a strong track record in major ESA missions, OHB combines cutting-edge technology with a commitment to advancing space science and exploration. Learn more at http://www.ohb.de

About ÉireComposites
ÉireComposites, based in Co. Galway, is a leader in composite design, manufacturing, and testing for aerospace and renewable energy sectors. Founded in 1998, the company delivers innovative, high / performance solutions to global customers. Learn more at http://www.eirecomposites.com

ATG Engineering has signed its first commercial contract with Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) on
Tuesday, November 18th, marking a major milestone in the company’s evolution from bespoke
engineering and innovation to industrialized production.

Under this agreement, ATG Engineering will deliver main interstages and upper skirts for the
RFA ONE launcher, with manufacturing support from subcontractor Airborne Aerospace.
The development and technology maturation leading up to this milestone achievement was
partially funded and supported through Dutch contributions via the Netherlands Space Office in
the ESA GSTP and BOOST program.

This contract is a key milestone for ATG Engineering, marking the turning point from the R&D and technology development phase of its grid-stiffened massoptimized structures into recurring production and commercialization of advanced composite structures, ensuring scalability, cost efficiency, and long-term impact.

By industrializing its products, ATG Engineering is positioning itself as a key contributor to Europe’s commercial launch market, where reliability and affordability are critical for success. The RFA ONE launcher is designed to provide flexible, cost-effective access to space for small satellites. ATG Engineering’s lightweight, high stiffness interstage structures will play a vital role in achieving these performance goals.

Europe’s space sector is undergoing a transformation, driven by the growing demand for small satellite launches and competitive pricing.
This contract demonstrates how partnerships between innovative engineering firms and launch providers can accelerate industrialization and strengthen Europe’s position in the globalmarket.
By enabling recurring production and scalability, ATG Engineering and RFA are setting a benchmark for costeffective, high-performance launch solutions.

Jörn Spurmann, CCO at RFA: “Partnering with ATG Engineering has proven to be a reliable and
trusted foundation for our mission to provide flexible and dependable access to space for
Europe. Our successful collaboration, built over several years, continues to strengthen RFA ONE
as we prepare for frequent commercial and strategic launches. We are pleased to move forward
together as Europe’s launch market continues to grow.”

Alberto Donadoni, CCO at ATG Europe: “The micro/small launchers race has been on in Europe
and globally for quite some years now, but the pursue of performances will only come after the
maiden flights during the fight for commercial sustainability. We are glad that RFA decided to
focus on performances from the very start, and that they trusted ATG’s technology to save them
mass where it matters starting with their first launcher. We are more than eager to continue this
journey with RFA, supporting them in optimising access to space. This is an important first step
for us, and we are already eagerly looking forward at the race for the moon, where every gram
saved matters the most!”

About ATG Engineering
ATG Engineering, part of ATG Europe, specializes in advanced composite structures for space applications. With expertise spanning design, analysis, and qualification, ATG Engineering is committed to delivering lightweight, high-performance solutions that meet the demands of modern space missions. Learn more at
http://www.atg-europe.com.

About Rocket Factory
Rocket Factory Augsburg was founded in 2018 with the vision to enable data generating business models in space to better understand, protect and connect our planet Earth. Against this background, the company’s goal is to offer launch services into low Earth orbits and beyond on a frequent basis, providing flexible, dependable and sovereign access to space for Europe.
The RFA ONE launch service combines three key competitive advantages: A customer focused service with precise in-orbit delivery and a high degree of mission flexibility through its third stage “Redshift”; at a highly competitive price; made possible by superior “Helix” staged / combustion engines, low-cost stainless steel structures and usage of industrial components.

Last week, ATG joined the NL Space tent at the ESA ESTEC Open Day, welcoming more than 11,000 enthusiastic visitors! As an active contributor who has been deeply involved in the European space industry, we were excited to share our passion with the public. And to make space more accessible and engaging for everyone, we brought along something special…

Our VR stations were a huge hit! – Even though the queues were long, both kids and their parents eagerly waited for their turn to explore space mission in an interactive way. With a strong competence in immersive interface development, our VR devices truly put the distant universe right at users’ fingertips. One young visitor excitedly shared, “I’ve always wanted to try VR, and now that it’s incorporated with space exploration, it’s both fun and educational!”

Our photobooth added even more fun to the day. – It was wonderful to see so many smiles as families and friends enjoyed their time and inspire the next generation of explorers!

ATG Innovation Ltd., the Irish subsidiary of ATG Europe, recently completed a milestone project in the continued development of ATG’s patented composite lattice technology, building on the extensive work undertaken on this topic by ATG to date. The project focused on assessing interface zones within the composite lattice structures developed by ATG, as these form the integration points for traditional flight hardware surrounding the spacecraft structure. This included the design, analysis, manufacture, and testing of element level interface specimens, before proceeding to the manufacturing and testing of a full-scale representative satellite central tube (SCT) demonstrator using the requirements from the service module of the European Space Agency’s PLATO satellite. This project was conducted under an ESA Science Directorate Core Technology Program (CTP) with the backing of Enterprise Ireland.

Multiple attachment design concepts were integrated into the lattice design to accommodate the various interface requirements of a satellite central tube. These concepts included various laminate patch configurations directly integrated into the lattice structure during layup, thus maintaining optimal structural integrity of the component. In addition, a one-piece aluminum ring was designed to provide an efficient hybrid joint with the lattice cylinder, while also meeting the interface requirements of a standard PAS 1666 adaptor, thus facilitating the interface with the launch vehicle. The mass of the full-scale lattice satellite central tube including the aluminum interface ring is 36.73kg, which is a 37% mass-saving over the current monolithic composite design scheduled to fly on PLATO in 2026.

Lattice structure layup phase

Lattice cylinder manufacturing followed the patented methods developed by ATG, with all activities undertaken at our manufacturing partner ÉireComposites’ facilities, including full-time support from ATG. The laminate patches used for providing attachment points in the structure, are directly integrated into the layup. One of the main benefits of the design and manufacturing methodology employed by ATG is the ability to tailor patch locations and thicknesses right up to the start of the layup, giving added flexibility for changes as a design or product progresses. The entire part was cured in an autoclave in a one-shot process and achieved conformance to all design tolerances.

Drilling of holes for fastener installation in the hybrid joint between the composite lattice cylinder and aluminium interface ring

Once the composite lattice cylinder was formed, the aluminium interface ring was bonded to the monolithic laminate region of the structure followed by drilling of holes in the ring and patches using an automated CNC machine. Once completed, all inserts and fasteners were installed where necessary.

ATG’s assembled composite lattice satellite central tube

The culmination of years of work, this could not have been accomplished without the dedication of the composites team here at ATG, along with the time and support of all our project partners including ÉireComposites and Enterprise Ireland. The quality of the final product is a testament to the attention to detail that the entire team has placed in this work and is another step for ATG on our quest to accelerate the light-weighting of future spacecraft structures.

For more information please contact:

ATG Communication

Space Business Park

Huygensstraat 34
2201 DK Noordwijk (NL) 

communication@atg-europe.com  

T: +31 (0)71 579 5500 

 

On the 9^th of May SCK CEN, ATG Europe, Heemskerk Innovative Technology (HIT) and IDOM came together at ATG HQ in Noordwijk, The Netherlands, to formalize the end of the current contracts on the evolution of the conceptual design for the Ex-Vessel Remote Handling and Ex-Vessel Fuel Handling. These assignments were undertaken within a framework agreement which envelopes general engineering services in support to the conceptual design phases of the MYRRHA reactor’s primary systems as well as the balance of plant (BOP) systems, for which we won a public tender in 2021.

The MYRRHA project team members of customer SCK CEN and “Team ATG” consisting of ATG, HIT and IDOM

In these assignments, the team of ATG, HIT and IDOM has developed a large part of the fuel handling system and ex-vessel remote handling system, including the design requirements, the concept selection and improvement, as well as a cost assessment and the identification and development of the associated task descriptions and their procedures.

The part of the fuel handling system on which the team has focused actually consists of two subsystems, which are the Fuel Transfer Device (FTD) and the Ex-vessel Fuel Handling System (EVFHS). These subsystems together enable the MYRRHA reactor to ensure a safe and remotely controlled way to unload spent fuel assemblies from the reactor and replace them with new fuel assemblies.

The Ex-Vessel Remote Handling System (EVRHS) enables safe maintenance and replacement of components in potentially hazardous environments, thus ensuring that all items located where humans are not able (or allowed) to enter can be safely maintained and replaced, if necessary, which is vital to keep the MYRRHA reactor up and operating in the longer term.

During the project, several workshops were organised to ensure a good integration with the other sub-systems and other companies involved in the MYRRHA reactor. With the new conceptual design an important step is taken towards a feasible and safe MYRRHA reactor. Next to this, the cost and TRL estimations will help SCK CEN in their way forward.

Team ATG is proud to have received the following testimony from customer SCK CEN:

Impression of the Ex-Vessel Remote Handling System designed

MYRRHA Project

The MYRRHA (Multi-purpose hYbrid Research Reactor for High-tech Applications) project is run by SCK CEN and is the world’s first large scale Accelerator Driven System (ADS) that consists of a subcritical nuclear reactor driven by a high-power linear accelerator. With the subcritical concentration of fission material, the nuclear reaction is sustained by the particle accelerator only. Turning off the proton beam results in an immediate and safe shutdown of the nuclear reactions. MYRRHA offers unparalleled research opportunities in spent nuclear fuel, nuclear medicine and fundamental and applied physics (www.myrrha.be).

ATG EUROPE

For 50 years we have been supporting our customers to transform their challenges into success by providing services with expertise and innovative thinking. Today, ATG Europe is a key player in delivering engineering services, solutions, and technologies to the European Space and Big science sectors. We provide value-added engineering services, products, and technology at the highest possible standards in order to help accelerate innovation on all fronts.

HIT

Heemskerk Innovative Technology is a company founded in 2007 focusing on the areas of Haptics, Dexterous manipulation, Master-slave control, Dynamic contact, and Augmented Reality. They provide advice and support to innovative high-tech projects in the field of robotics and mechatronics.

IDOM

IDOM is an employee-owned, independent firm developing projects in over 125 countries with more than 5,000 professionals. IDOM is participating in some of the most advanced and innovative projects in the world in the fields of power generation, infrastructure, architecture, consulting and nuclear services, providing clear added value to their clients. Specifically, IDOM Nuclear Services (NS) is present in more than 32 countries, working along the entire nuclear energy and research life cycle. IDOM is participating not just in fission projects, but also fusion projects such as ITER, as well as research reactor and nuclear medicine projects.

For more information, please visit www.idom.com

For more information please contact:

ATG Communications 

Space Business Park

Huygensstraat 34
2201 DK Noordwijk (NL) 

communication@atg-europe.com  

T: +31 (0)71 579 5500