OHB Space UK is expanding its operations in the West of England to support the European Space Agency’s (ESA) EnVision mission to Venus.
The company will assemble, integrate, and test the spacecraft to prepare it for launch.
The German parent company, OHB SE, opened its UK subsidiary in 2025.
The company plans to add more than 100 engineers to its workforce over the next five years.
The contract for the project is valued at €24 million (£20.7 million).
OHB Space UK will relocate from Bristol and Bath Science Park to a larger facility at Aztec West, Almondsbury.
Marco Fuchs, chief executive of OHB SE, said: “Space is booming – and we are growing with it.
“With OHB Space UK, we are consistently pursuing our growth strategy and sustainably strengthening Europe’s space capabilities.
“I am very proud of the highly committed team in England and grateful for the close and trusted cooperation with our partners in the United Kingdom, Germany, and across Europe.”
The new facility will feature one of the UK’s largest and most advanced cleanrooms, designed to maintain contaminant-free conditions essential for high-precision spacecraft assembly.
OHB Space UK is relocating to Aztec West, Almondsbury as it supports the European Space Agency’s mission to Venus (Image: OHB Space UK)
Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said: “I am thrilled that OHB Space UK are expanding and that the West of England will be making a real contribution to such an important mission in space.”
Space Minister Liz Lloyd described the company’s progress as a “real success story for British space.”
Ms Lloyd said: “In just twelve months, they have gone from a small team to a company with serious ambitions — up to 100 highly skilled jobs planned in Bristol and a world-class cleanroom facility taking shape.
“Signing this contract for a major role in ESA’s EnVision mission to Venus is a clear signal that OHB Space UK has already established itself as a trusted partner for world-class missions.”
EnVision is set to launch in 2031 and will study Venus’ geology, atmosphere, and climate.
The mission will explore how Earth’s closest planetary neighbour came to be uninhabitable.