Swiss Space Systems

Swiss Space Systems Holding SA
IndustryAerospace
Founded2012
FounderPascal Jaussi
Headquarters
Payerne
,
Switzerland
Key people
Pascal Jaussi (CEO)
Claude Nicollier (Chairman)
ProductsSatellite launch/Space tourism
Websitehttp://www.s-3.ch/en/home (Archived)

Swiss Space Systems (S3) was a company that planned to provide orbital launches of small satellites and crewed sub-orbital spaceflights.[1] The company was based in Payerne in western Switzerland, near Payerne Air Base, where it planned to build a spaceport in 2015. Suborbital spaceplanes were to be launched from an Airbus A300, giving the spacecraft more initial speed and altitude than if it were launched from the ground. The spacecraft, in turn, would release a disposable third stage.[2]

As of March 2013, the company planned to charge CHF 10 million (US$10.5 million) per launch, using uncrewed suborbital spaceplanes that could carry satellites weighing up to 250 kilograms (550 lb). Costs were expected to be reduced by the reusable nature of the spaceplane and launch facilities, and by somewhat lower fuel-consumption than conventional systems.[3]

In 2013, S3 also hoped to develop a crewed version of its suborbital spaceplane to provide supersonic intercontinental flights to paying customers. According to CEO Pascal Jaussi: "Far from wishing to launch into the space tourism market, we want rather to establish a new mode of air travel based on our satellite launch model that will allow spaceports on different continents to be reached in an hour."[4]

As of March 2013, project partners included the European Space Agency, Dassault Aviation and the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics.[4][5]

According to Swiss public broadcasting, Swiss Space Systems became heavily indebted.[6] In 2016, Swiss Space Systems asked to delay bankruptcy procedures as new funds from Singapore bank Axios Credit were expected. However, news tabloid Blick reported that Singapore authorities declared that Axios is not a licensed bank.[7][8] On 14 December 2016, Swiss Space Systems was declared bankrupt in the civil court of Broye and North Vaud.[9]

  1. ^ "Swiss space firm declared bankrupt". 16 December 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  2. ^ Coxworth, Ben (15 March 2013). "Swiss company aims to fly satellites into space". Gizmag.
  3. ^ Messier, Doug (13 March 2013). "Swiss Space Systems Announces Smallsat Launch System". Parabolic Arc. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  4. ^ a b Messier, Doug (17 June 2013). "Swiss Space Systems Announces Plans for Crewed Suborbital Spacecraft". Parabolic Arc.
  5. ^ Dessibourg, Olivier (14 March 2013). "Payerne, rampe d'accès à l'espace". Le Temps.
  6. ^ "Die vielen Schulden des Pascal Jaussi - News - SRF" (in German). Srf.ch. 14 September 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  7. ^ "Schweizer Weltraum-Unternehmen S3: Jaussis Bank gibts gar nicht! - Blick" (in German). Blick.ch. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  8. ^ "Pascal Jaussi bittet nach Brandanschlag um Konkurs-Gnadenfrist - Blick" (in German). Blick.ch. 14 September 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  9. ^ www.20min.ch, www.20minuten.ch, 20 Minuten, 20 Min. "Swiss Space in Konkurs geschickt". 20 Minuten. Retrieved 16 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)