Terran Orbital’s factory addition includes, among other capabilities, a pair of advanced printed circuit board assembly lines and a state-of-the-art testing facility equipped with a large shaker table and a Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) chamber. (Image courtesy Terran Orbital)
The 60,000-square-foot factory addition in Irvine will enable a production boost to more than 20 satellites per month, the company said.
BOCA RATON, Fla.—A new 60,000-square-foot factory addition to Terran Orbital’s manufacturing complex in Irvine, California, will enable the company to significantly boost satellite production, Terran Orbital said in a release.
The expansion enables the company to increase satellite production from an estimated 10 satellites per month to more than 20 per month. It includes two advanced printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) lines; a state-of-the-art testing facility equipped with a large shaker table and a Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) chamber; a wire harness facility; and new automated module testing facilities, the company said.
The addition brings the total size of the manufacturing complex in Irvine to approximately 98,000 square feet, according to the release.
“This new factory addition will significantly improve both the efficiency and capacity of our entire production system,” said Marc Bell, co-founder, chairperson, and CEO of Terran Orbital, in a statement.
Terran Orbital is a manufacturer of satellite products that primarily serves the aerospace and defense industries. The company said it provides “end-to-end satellite solutions by combining satellite design, production, launch planning, mission operations, and on-orbit support to meet the needs of the most demanding military, civil, and commercial customers.”
The company is reported to be currently manufacturing 42 satellite buses on behalf of Lockheed Martin for the U.S. Space Development Agency’s Tranche 1 Transport Layer Program, a mesh network in low Earth orbit that will support America’s military operations in addition to other satellites and constellations.