OHB SE

OHB SE is a European multinational technology corporation. Headquartered in Bremen, Germany, the corporation consists of the two business divisions Space Systems and Aerospace + Industrial Products. A key product of the corporation is fully integrated spacecraft. At present OHB is the third largest corporation in Europe's space sector.
The company OHB System AG is a major constituent of the OHB corporation. This company was founded in 1958 as a marine systems outfitter. The name OHB originates from this time; the name is an initialism of Otto Hydraulic Bremen. However the activities of the company shifted toward space technology in the 1980s after the couple Christa Fuchs and Manfred Fuchs took over ownership of the company.
Organisation.
OHB is set up as a "Societas Europae" – a European company. The OHB SE group encompasses subsidiaries across the European Union.
Projects.
The company has been working on numerous German, European and international projects related to small satellites, manned space flight as well as security and reconnaissance technologies.
As of 2019 OHB hopes to have a small rocket launcher capable of sending 200 kilograms to low Earth orbit conduct a first flight by the end of 2021.
Galileo.
On January 7, 2010, the European Commission awarded a contract worth 566 million euros to build the first 14 operational satellites of the Galileo satellite navigation system to OHB-System and Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) 4. The first two are ready in October 2012. On February 2, 2012, OHB-System won a new contract worth 255 million euros, covering 8 additional satellites.
In 2013, a significant delay was announced for the program due to the failure of OHB, which called for help from Astrium and Thales Alenia Space, resulting in controversy over the governance of the program and the choice of OHB.
Corporate history.
The OHB Systems AG was founded in 1958 as a marine outfitter company in Hemelinger harbour, Bremen. The name is an initialism of Otto Hydraulic Bremen.
In 1981 Christa and Manfred Fuchs became involved with OHB. At the time OHB was a small company of 5 employees doing hydraulic and electrical work, mainly for the Bundeswehr. In 1985 Manfred Fuchs took over the OHB completely. Under Fuchs, OHB changed its focus to satellite and aviation technology. In 2000, the company changed the meaning of OHB to High-technology Bremen Orbitals (German:Orbitale Hochtechnologie Bremen).
In 2009, the company had grown into 1,600 employee company.
In 1 September 2014, OHB Systems AG and Kayser-Threde Gmbh merged.