13 Apr 2017

Located within United Launch Alliance’s Decatur rocket factory, the two strategic partners plan to create 100 new American Jobs by 2019

RUAG will soon manufacture carbon fiber structures in the U.S., as the company steadily progresses with their build-up of a new facility within United Launch Alliance’s Decatur rocket factory. In January, ULA presented RUAG Space the keys to its 132,000 square foot facility, and work began immediately to prepare the space for the future production and assembly line of the RUAG payload fairings and interstage adapters. Being located within ULA’s overall 1.6-million-square-foot factory area ensures a direct link to the customer and facilitates integration.

“We could not be more pleased to have RUAG Space co-located with us in Decatur and bring 100 new, high-tech jobs to America,” said Tory Bruno, ULA’s president and CEO. “RUAG Space has been a strong partner on our Atlas program for more than a decade, and now we look forward to continuing our collaboration on our new Vulcan Centaur rocket as we transform the future of launch to make space more affordable and accessible.”

“RUAG has a ‘customer-first’ approach – and establishing a manufacturing facility in such close proximity to ULA is strong proof of this. The co-location will significantly reduce costs and facilitate integration of our products in ULA’s manufacturing line. At the same time, we are able to further grow our footprint in the U.S., relying on a strong local workforce,” says Peter Guggenbach, CEO of RUAG Space.

Until now, RUAG Space has built the Atlas V 5.4-meter payload fairing system and the interstage adapter in Zurich and Emmen, Switzerland. This work, plus the production of several new structures now will be manufactured locally in Alabama. The ribbon cutting for the new facility will be late spring 2017.