Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS, a wholly-owned company in the Kongsberg Group, has entered into an agreement to acquire 100% of the shares in Horten-based company Norspace AS.

Norspace AS was established in 2003 and is an extension of the former AME Space and Alcatel Space Norway.

Norspace AS currently has 95 employees and is supplying high-tech components and equipment to the international space industry.

The company participates in a number of international space programmes, and the company's equipment is currently on board more than 140 satellites for customers all over the world. 

Kongsberg has for several years increased its activities in space and surveillance.

Through the subsidiaries Kongsberg Satellite Services and Kongsberg Spacetec, the company is leading in services related to ground stations and satellite data.

Kongsberg currently operates a worldwide network of ground stations, including Svalbard and the Antarctic, and supplies high-tech solutions to NASA and ESA, among others.

The acquisition of Norspace AS consolidates space operations in Norway and contributes toward strengthening Kongsberg's commercial position within international space and surveillance.  

“Kongsberg has had strong faith in space and surveillance for some time," says Harald Ånnestad, CEO of Kongsberg Defence Systems.

"The significant contracts we recently have landed confirm this faith.

"The acquisition of Norspace enables us to exploit each other's expertise and market positions to grow and develop new products and markets.

"Both companies have demonstrated impressive development and ability to innovate in recent years, and we look forward to continue this progress and build new opportunities in a larger and more internationally robust company.”