On April 1, 2026, NASA’s Artemis II mission launched four astronauts toward the Moon, marking the first crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit since 1972. Onboard the Orion spacecraft, solar array drive mechanisms designed and built in Zurich and Nyon by Beyond Gravity keep the European Service Module’s power supply running. The mission is the latest proof point of a Swiss space sector whose contributions extend from flagship international programs to a fast-growing constellation of startups.
At a Glance
- Swiss hardware on Artemis II: Beyond Gravity supplies the solar array drive mechanisms for Orion’s European Service Module, developed in Zurich with slip rings and twist capsules manufactured in Nyon.
- Beyond Gravity’s market position: Over 400 launches, 800+ satellites in orbit, and more than 60% of the global addressable payload fairing market.
- Ecosystem depth: Switzerland is an ESA founding member, hosts the new European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre (ESDI), and runs ESA BIC Switzerland, a nationwide space startup incubator. A growing wave of startups spans orbital logistics, debris removal, satellite manufacturing, and IoT connectivity.
- Artemis II record: The crew set a new human spaceflight distance record at 252,756 miles from Earth, surpassing the mark held by Apollo 13 since 1970.
The Swiss Technology Keeping Artemis II Powered
Beyond Gravity’s contribution to Artemis II centers on the solar array drive mechanisms (SADMs) integrated into the European Service Module (ESM), built by Airbus on behalf of ESA. These mechanisms deploy and move the four solar wings that generate electricity for the Orion spacecraft, enabling the wings to tilt and rotate with high precision to track the Sun, position inspection cameras, shield solar cells from engine exhaust during lunar orbit insertion, and reduce acceleration loads during critical flight phases.
“We are extremely proud to contribute to such a huge and important program. The Artemis program is a truly international effort, and our close collaboration with partners in Europe and the United States is key to delivering reliable technologies for human space exploration.”
Oliver Grassmann, Chief Operating Officer, Beyond Gravity
The company’s Artemis involvement extends beyond the current mission. At its facility in Decatur, Alabama, Beyond Gravity has produced the Universal Stage Adapter for the Space Launch System, a carbon fiber composite connector measuring 9.9 meters in height and 8.4 meters in diameter. This component will fly for the first time on Artemis IV. The work reflects an engineering philosophy built on controlling the full composite manufacturing chain, from design analysis through production.
Beyond Gravity: Industrial Anchor of the Space Supply Chain
Beyond Gravity, headquartered in Zurich and wholly owned by the Swiss Confederation, generated CHF 412 million in revenue in 2025 across approximately 1,900 employees in six countries. The company traces its origins to the late 1970s, when Oerlikon Contraves began assembling payload fairings for Ariane rockets at Emmen, Switzerland. It has since grown into a dominant supplier in two critical segments of the global space supply chain.
In payload fairings, Beyond Gravity commands over 60% of the addressable market. Every Ariane rocket since its maiden flight, plus ULA’s Atlas and Vulcan, Japan’s H3, and Avio’s Vega, flies with Beyond Gravity fairings. In satellite dispensers, the company leads globally, manufacturing the carbon fiber structures that carry and deploy satellites for Eutelsat OneWeb and Amazon’s Project Kuiper. Over 800 satellites currently in orbit rely on Beyond Gravity technology, spanning missions from Galileo to NASA’s Europa Clipper.
The Swiss parliament blocked the company’s planned privatization in March 2025, concluding that Beyond Gravity is strategically important for Switzerland’s standing in space technology. The decision underscores the federal government’s recognition that advanced manufacturing capabilities in space represent a national asset. Close research ties to ETH Zurich and EPFL feed the company’s innovation pipeline, which includes out-of-autoclave composite fabrication and an internal startup incubation program called Launchpad.
An Ecosystem Built for Space
Beyond Gravity is the most visible Swiss actor in the Artemis program, but the infrastructure behind it runs far deeper. Switzerland has been an ESA founding member since 1975 and currently holds the chair of the ESA Council at delegate level through Renato Krpoun, head of the Swiss Space Office at the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). In October 2025, the federal government committed CHF 6 million to two space R&D projects: MoonWalker, led by ETH Zurich with ANYbotics and Maxon, to develop a walking robot for lunar exploration; and TESSA, led by the University of Bern and EPFL, to advance space situational awareness capabilities.
Two institutional developments in 2025 reinforced Switzerland’s position in European space. In May, ESA inaugurated the European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre (ESDI) at the Switzerland Innovation Park Innovaare in Villigen, marking the agency’s first physical presence in Switzerland. Located alongside the Paul Scherrer Institute, ESDI focuses on accelerating deep tech research in quantum, data, and materials for space applications. At the inauguration, Deep Tech Nation Switzerland and ESA signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen connections between the space sector and the Swiss deep tech ecosystem.
“The inauguration of the European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre is a testimonial to ESA’s and Switzerland’s joint commitment to push innovation and drive economic growth.”
Josef Aschbacher, Director General, ESA
Meanwhile, ESA BIC Switzerland, the nationwide space incubator powered by ESA and ETH Zurich since 2016, continues to feed the pipeline. The program offers up to EUR 200,000 in non-dilutive funding per startup, along with technical, business, and networking support. In January 2026, a new cohort of six startups joined the program, working on energy, photonics, and communication solutions for space systems and downstream applications.
The combination of federal R&D investment, institutional anchoring, world-class research (ETH Zurich ranks #1 and EPFL #10 in the QS World University Rankings for Europe 2025), and a stable regulatory framework creates the conditions described in Switzerland’s innovation positioning: an ecosystem where precision meets open-mindedness, and where breakthrough research translates into market-ready technology.
Swiss Space Startups to Watch
The startup layer of Switzerland’s space sector has matured considerably in recent years. Several companies stand out for their funding traction, technical ambition, and ties to the Swiss research ecosystem.
Where Precision Meets Ambition
Artemis II carries Swiss precision to lunar orbit. Underneath that visible contribution sits a full-spectrum space ecosystem: federal ownership of an industrial champion, institutional infrastructure through ESA membership and the new ESDI centre, targeted public R&D funding, a dedicated startup incubator, and a pipeline of venture-backed companies tackling the next generation of space challenges.
Switzerland’s advantage in space mirrors its advantage across deep tech sectors. A tradition of engineering precision and quality creates credibility in mission-critical applications where failure is measured in lives and billions. Political stability and regulatory predictability enable the long development timelines that space hardware demands. And a talent ecosystem anchored by ETH Zurich and EPFL, with 26.5% of startup founders holding scientific backgrounds compared to a 9% OECD average, ensures a steady flow of technically capable founders into the sector.
As the global space economy enters an industrial phase, the question for international investors is where to find reliable, high-performance capability with a track record. Switzerland’s answer is on its way back from the Moon.
FAQ on Swiss Space Technology and Artemis II
What is the Artemis II mission?
Artemis II is NASA’s first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. Launched on April 1, 2026, it sends four astronauts on a ten-day lunar flyby mission aboard the Orion spacecraft, powered by the Space Launch System (SLS). The mission set a new human spaceflight distance record at 252,756 miles from Earth.
What Swiss technology is on the Artemis II spacecraft?
Beyond Gravity, headquartered in Zurich, supplies the solar array drive mechanisms for the European Service Module that powers the Orion spacecraft. These mechanisms, developed in Zurich with slip rings manufactured in Nyon, deploy and precisely control the four solar wings that generate electricity for the crew. The company also produced the Universal Stage Adapter for future SLS missions at its U.S. facility.
Who is Beyond Gravity?
Beyond Gravity (formerly RUAG Space) is Switzerland’s leading space company, wholly owned by the Swiss Confederation. With CHF 402 million in revenue (2025), approximately 1,900 employees, and a heritage spanning over 400 launches, the company holds dominant market positions in payload fairings (>60% market share) and satellite dispensers for mega-constellations.
What Swiss space startups should investors watch?
Key companies include PAVE Space (orbital transfer vehicles, $40M seed round in 2026), ClearSpace (ESA-backed debris removal, €100M+ mission budget), SWISSto12 (compact telecom satellites, €100M+ total funding), and DPhi Space (hosted payload ridesharing). All are EPFL-linked and based in the Lausanne area, reflecting the strength of Switzerland’s research-to-commercialization pipeline.
What role does Switzerland play in ESA?
Switzerland has been an ESA founding member since 1975 and currently chairs the ESA Council at delegate level. In 2025, ESA inaugurated its first Swiss presence, the European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre (ESDI), at the Switzerland Innovation Park Innovaare. The ESA BIC Switzerland incubator, powered by ESA and ETH Zurich, has supported Swiss space startups since 2016 with up to EUR 200,000 in non-dilutive funding each.
What is ESDI?
The European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre (ESDI) is a joint initiative between ESA and Switzerland, located at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Villigen. Inaugurated in May 2025, it focuses on accelerating deep tech research in quantum, data, and materials for space applications. At the opening, Deep Tech Nation Switzerland and ESA signed a Memorandum of Understanding to connect the space sector with Switzerland’s broader deep tech ecosystem.
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