China3D printingNet, September 30th, Terran Orbital, a developer of nano- and micro-satellites, announced an investment of US$300 million to build what is said to be the “world’s largest” commercial spacecraft facility in Florida.
The facility covers an area of 660,000 square feet and will be built on Merritt Island and will use 3D printing technology to produce thousands of different types of spacecraft each year.
The plant will be based on an artificial intelligence (AI)-controlled supply chain to produce a variety of complex electronic and mechanical equipment for satellites.
“I am pleased to announce that Terran Orbital will invest $300 million on the Space Coast to build the world’s largest satellite manufacturing plant,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Satellite manufacturing is and will continue to be an important part of the space coast economy. With this decision, we are increasing investment.”
Terran Orbital A rendering of what the new facility in Florida might look like.Picture fromTerran Orbital .
Florida’s Space Coast
Florida, the home of NASA, consolidated its global leadership in aerospace research and investment, earning it the nickname “Space Coast”. Due to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the equator, NASA launches rockets from Cape Canaveral on Merritt Island, which means that the energy consumed by rockets launched from this area is reduced by 0.3%, which is due to the greater kinetic energy generated by the rotation of the earth axis.
Therefore, there are many 3D printing companies active in the aerospace field in the region. Space manufacturing expert Made In Space was acquired by the aerospace group Redwire last year and started business here. Previously, it had cooperated with NASA to introduce 3D printing technology into new aerospace applications.
Rocket propulsion startup Firehawk Aerospace, also located in Florida, raised $2 million in seed funding in November last year to develop advanced rocket propulsion systems powered by 3D printed solid fuel rods. At the same time, 3D printed rocket manufacturer Relativity Space plans to launch its 3D printed Terran R launch vehicle from its Cape Canaveral launch site in 2024, which is the same as the planned launch of Terran 1, but has been postponed to Early next year.
In addition, launch vehicle and spacecraft supplier Firefly Aerospace is planning to install Ingersoll Machine Tools’ automatic fiber placement (AFP) system at its new plant on the Florida Space Coast and its launch site at Cape Canaveral, which will In early 2022. The company estimates that the facility will be able to produce 24 Alpha rockets each year, which are made of all carbon fiber structures using AFP technology.
Currently, Terran Orbital is headquartered in Irvine, California, and will become the latest company to use 3D printing technology for space applications, joining the space coast of Florida to build new facilities.
“In Florida, we will continue to invest in infrastructure, train highly skilled workers, and maintain the economic environment to allow companies such as Terran Orbital to thrive and continue to be a leader in the space sector,” DeSantis added. “I congratulate them on their great decision to come to Florida.”
The featured image shows a satellite in low earth orbit. The picture comes from MIS.
Terran Orbital’s US$300 million investment
Terran Orbital is planning to develop its new facility in cooperation with Space Florida, Florida’s Aerospace and Spaceport Development Agency. According to reports, once completed, the facility will become the world’s largest “Industry 4.0” spacecraft manufacturing facility, covering an area of 660,000 square feet.
The facility is built at the Launch and Landing Facility (LLF) on Merritt Island and consists of 10 automated hangers that can produce thousands of spacecraft each year.
The facility has an artificial intelligence-controlled supply chain and will be equipped with 3D printing technology to enable the spacecraft to be quickly put on the market. The plant’s additive manufacturing capabilities will be used to produce high-quality and technologically advanced 3D printed circuit board components with an extensive electronic storage library.
At the same time, the enhanced and assisted labor product line will produce a variety of complex electronic and mechanical equipment to integrate into a series of different satellites and spacecraft.
“We are very pleased to work with Space Florida to build a factory that we consider to be a national asset: a contribution to commercial funding of our national space industrial base,” said Marc Bell, co-founder and CEO of Terran Orbital. “Not only will we be able to expand production capacity to meet the growing demand for our products, but we will also bring valuable spacecraft manufacturing opportunities and capabilities to Florida, investing more than $300 million in new buildings and equipment.“By the end of 2025, we will create approximately 2,100 new jobs with an average salary of $84,000.”
The state-of-the-art facilities will help Terran Orbital provide end-to-end satellite products to customers in the military, civil and commercial aerospace fields. The company combines satellite design, production, launch planning, mission operations, and in-orbit support to customers, and is also developing what is said to be the most advanced Earth observation constellation that can provide important image response capabilities.In order to strengthen Florida’s leading position in aerospace research and exploration, Florida Space Corporation will support the Earth Orbiting Corporation to build new facilities.
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