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Dutch Space BV, the largest space company in the Netherlands, has been acquired by EADS SPACE and will become part of EADS SPACE Transportation once the acquisition is complete. The firm was once part of the Fokker group, and has since become an important EADS SPACE Transportation supplier by contributing key components to the Airane 5 launcher, VEGA small European launcher, and the International Space Station’s ERA robotic arm.
The firm has nearly 300 employees working in the areas of robotics, space instruments, launchers and solar arrays, with unique expertise in lightweight, rigid and strong structural components. The very next day after the acquisition was announced, however, EADS Space CEO Francois Auque told French daily Les Echos that “Whatever happens, we already know that 700 job cuts will be necessary in the coming three years; 500 engineering assistants for our subcontractors, and 200 at EADS Space Transportation”, the rocket launching unit of EADS Space.