...microwave unit number 1,000 for use on-board satellites. RUAG Space is a well-known supplier among most major satellite manufacturers on the world market with more than six hundred units have been delivered in the last ten years.

The microwave technology at RUAG Space in Gothenburg has its origin from the defense systems activities of Ericsson (nowadays Saab) in the Gothenburg area. A satellite communications activity was born there based on the microwave competence of Ericsson already in the late sixties. It started with C-band communications equipment development for the ELDO (European Launcher Development Organization), the precursor of the European Space Agency, ESA. In the mid-seventies, a continuous activity with deliveries of microwave units to satellites for communication, earth observation and science had been accomplished.

The dominating product today is frequency converters and receivers for use in the payload of commercial telecommunication satellites. Unit number one thousand will be used in the Ku-band payload of the Eutelsat 3B satellite. RUAG Space will deliver in total 46 receivers and converters to the satellite that will be launched in the beginning of 2014.