Aerospacelab, a Belgian manufacturer of small satellites, has officially opened its first facility in the United States. Located in Torrance, California, the new facility will significantly increase the company’s production capacity and better serve the growing U.S. space market.
The state-of-the-art facility spans 35,000 square feet and features advanced high-bay and cleanroom environments equipped with the latest technology and sustainable practices. With the ability to produce an average of two satellites per week on a single shift, the facility will begin manufacturing satellite systems for Xona Space Systems in the fourth quarter.
“Now more than ever, there is a need for mission-ready satellite systems to meet today’s complex global challenges. The Aerospacelab facility in greater Los Angeles will boost the local aerospace industry and meet the demands of the U.S. government and military.” said Tina Ghataore, CEO of Aerospacelab, Inc. “We will not only ramp up satellite bus production but will be doing full builds and satellite operations for U.S. customers, while building our own units in-house. It’s quite remarkable what this will open doors to.”
The new Torrance facility will enable the company to scale its operations and meet the diverse needs of the U.S. space industry. With its Versatile Satellite Platform family as its foundation, Aerospacelab can tailor solutions for various missions, ensuring reliability and agility.
The company’s growth is driven by the addition of new commercial customers in the United States and ongoing support for various U.S. government institutions.
A significant factor in Aerospacelab’s expansion is a substantial subcontract with MDA Space for the Telesat Lightspeed constellation. This project aligns with the company’s commitment to making space accessible for all and demonstrates its ability to deliver high-quality solutions for large-scale satellite constellations.
However, the Telesat Lightspeed constellation may not be as large as originally planned. in March 2022, Telesat’s plans for the Lightspeed constellation faced challenges due to supply chain disruptions and rising costs. The company’s CEO, Dan Goldberg, announced that they might need to reduce the number of satellites in the project. Initially, Telesat aimed to launch 288 satellites, but Goldberg indicated that 188 would be sufficient to achieve global coverage. This reduction would also decrease the number of rockets needed for launch, potentially leading to cost savings. Currently, Telesat’s official website lists 188 satellites (plus ten spares) as part of the Lightspeed constellation, which remains a substantial program despite the truncation.
The US facility joins the company’s growing network of satellite factories. Construction is currently under on its its future ‘Megafactory’ in Belgium. This facility will manufacture 150 kg to 1-ton satellites, with the capacity to produce up to 500 satellites a year. With 7,000 square meters of production area and 4,000 square meters of clean room, it will be the third largest satellite factory in the world, the company said.
Ground was broken on the operation in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium in 2024, which is scheduled to begin manufacturing its first satellites in 2026.
A military history enthusiast, Richard began at Forecast International as editor of the World Weapons Weekly newsletter. As the Internet grew in importance as a research tool, he helped design the company's Forecast Intelligence Center and currently coordinates the EMarket Alert newsletters for clients. Richard also manages social media efforts, including two new blogs: Defense & Security Monitor, covering defense systems and international issues, and Flight Plan, which focuses on commercial aviation and space systems. For over 30 years, Richard has authored the Defense & Aerospace Companies, Volume I (North America) and Volume II (International) services. The two books provide detailed data on major aerospace and defense contractors. He also edits the International Contractors service, a database that tracks all the contractors involved in the programs covered in the FI library. More recently he was appointed Manager, Information Services Group (ISG), a new unit that encompasses developing outbound content for both Forecast International and Military Periscope.
