[Photo caption: At the signing ceremony for the ESA EnVision mission in the new cleanroom of OHB Space UK: Dario Falleri (TAS), Carole Mundell (ESA), Marco Fuchs (OHB), Laura Costanza (ESA), Oliver Salisch (OHB), Kim Lake (OHB), Kevin Guy (WECA), Julie Black (UK Space Agency). Photo (from left). © OHB]
OHB Space UK is expanding its base in the West of England after being awarded a £20 million contract for the biggest mission to Venus in the history of space exploration.
The German company OHB SE, which opened a UK subsidiary in 2025, will grow its British workforce by more than 100 highly skilled engineers over the next five years as they work on the EnVision mission.
Led by the European Space Agency, OHB Space UK will be responsible for the assembly, integration, and testing of the EnVision spacecraft to make sure it is ready to qualify for operation in space.
The contract value is estimated to be £20.7 million (€24 million). As well as expanding the team, OHB Space UK will also be moving to a bigger, state-of-the-art facility at Aztec West.
The new home for OHB Space UK, currently based at Bristol and Bath Science Park, will include one of the largest and most advanced cleanrooms in the UK.
A cleanroom is a specialised, controlled environment which minimises the risk of contamination in the manufacturing process, which is essential for high-precision work.
Marco Fuchs, CEO 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.”
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.
“Back here on Earth, we are already home to the industries and engineers who make space flight possible, and with our four incredible universities, we have a pipeline of talent for future jobs in this industry. With these new jobs, and more investment to come, it’s fair to say that the fastest-growing economy is really taking off!”
Space Minister Liz Lloyd said:
“OHB Space UK’s first year is a real success story for British space. 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. This is exactly the kind of high-value investment that will drive the continued growth of our UK space sector.”
The EnVision mission in 2031 will study Venus’s geology, atmosphere, and climate using a satellite to learn how the planet, which is most like Earth, evolved to become uninhabitable and whether it once had a climate more like ours.
