On this special day, it's raining over Kista. Impact Loop is on site with the space and satellite industry to cover the inauguration of OHB Sweden's new facilities and cleanroom – and indeed, there are some jokes about the weather still not being controllable, despite all the advanced space technology.
OHB Sweden has essentially moved further down the street but to a building that now houses a 1,000 square metre cleanroom (1,800 square metres including logistics area) where their satellites will now be produced.
"This enables series production, fast deliveries and cost efficiency in a way we've never had before," says Marco Fuchs, CEO of parent company OHB SE and chairman of OHB Sweden.
Behind the cleanroom doors
The cleanroom at OHB Sweden is the heart of the new facility, where the satellites are actually made. To enter the room, hair protection, a coat, and shoe covers are required—and for those with beards, a beard cover too—all to keep the environment as clean as possible. Photos are also not allowed.
Inside, production manager Mia Caderas is in charge and provides the tour. Production is still ongoing as we are shown around, with several teams working at different stations on partially foil-covered satellites.
The satellites are assembled on specially built racks that can be rolled between different workstations, where pipes for the satellites' propulsion systems are bent and welded, electrical and thermal components are installed, and the entire satellite structure is built together step by step on their trolleys.
In one part of the facility, a giant red balloon can be seen.
"Right now we are integrating the solar panels on this satellite and yesterday we did a test to check that the panels unfold as they should," says Mia Caderas.
The helium balloon simply helps to lift and relieve the panels during the opening and control to simulate weightlessness.
Custom-built bunker
Much of the work is done on-site in the building, and safety and inspections are a crucial part of the process.
For instance, they X-ray each weld in three directions to detect cracks, pores, or irregularities that aren't visible on the surface. They also conduct pressure tests on the satellites' propulsion systems, which are the components that handle gas and fuel under high pressure, in their specially built bunker.
"The walls are 60 centimetres thick, and the room is designed to withstand an explosion equivalent to four kilos of TNT – that's a very large explosive force," says Mia Caderas.
Four kilos of TNT (trinitrotoluene) – a classic explosive used as a reference for explosive power – roughly equates to about 15–20 hand grenades.
Arctic weather satellite – the size of a dishwasher
The company develops and produces small satellites and propulsion systems for both commercial and institutional customers, currently growing at double-digit rates.
According to CEO Benoit Mathieu, revenue in 2025 is expected to be around 600 million kronor, up from 492 million kronor in 2024. In the new facilities, they estimate a capacity of up to 20 spacecraft per year with the ambition to increase to 50.
One of the more well-known projects, commissioned by the European Space Agency, is the satellite "arctic weather satellite" (AWS) which was launched in 2024.
It is a small satellite weighing 125 kilos – "about the size of a dishwasher". It is located at an altitude of 590 kilometres and orbits the Earth over the poles, passing both the North Pole and the South Pole with each revolution.
There it can collect data that enables meteorologists to produce better and more up-to-date weather forecasts in the future, while the information is important for climate research.
OHB Sweden is now preparing to work on a larger constellation of 20 identical satellites, called EPS-STERNA, which according to the company is the largest upcoming order for the Swedish space industry, worth several billion kronor.
In February this year, they signed a so-called "Long Lead Item" agreement with the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), which means that work to order and prepare critical components for the upcoming satellite constellation can start even before the main contract is formally signed.
A new space chapter
Throughout the day, there was a lot of discussion about defence, security, and the growing strategic role of space. Marco Fuchs believes we are on the brink of a new chapter for the entire European space industry.
"The space industry is changing. There's a lot of talk about military applications but also about meteorological services. I think we are all very aware that monitoring the Earth is strategically important – especially from a resilience perspective," he says.
Also Maria Nilsson, state secretary to the Minister for Higher Education and Research, responsible for space issues, points out in a pre-recorded video how the experiences from Russia's invasion of Ukraine have shown the importance of independent access to space for security and resilience.
At the same time, satellites play an important role in monitoring the climate, managing natural disasters, and contributing to the green and digital transition, she argues.
"Satellites like the Arctic Weather Satellite, which OHB has led the development of, are very important for increasing our understanding of the various processes on and above the Earth. We need better resources to monitor weather and climate – Earth observation and meteorological satellites are crucial for this purpose."