Terran Orbital, a leading satellite manufacturer, has announced the expansion of its satellite production facility in Irvine, California. The company believes that this expansion will allow them to double their satellite production from an estimated 10 satellites per month to 20.
The newly expanded facility includes advanced Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) lines, a testing facility equipped with a large shaker table and a Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) chamber, a wire harness facility, and new automated module testing facilities. These additions are expected to significantly improve the efficiency and capacity of Terran Orbital’s production system.
This expansion is part of the company’s “Responsive Space Initiative,” which aims to deliver standard satellite systems within 60 days. As part of this initiative, Terran Orbital is standardizing common components that can be stocked and interchanged depending on the satellite configuration. The company designs and manufactures 85% of all the modules and components that go into a satellite.
Terran Orbital is also partnering with payload suppliers to stock a wide range of payloads, including Electro-Optical Imaging, Synthetic Aperture Radar, Communications, Hyperspectral, and others, to meet customer requirements.
The company offers seven ITAR-compliant satellite bus classes, ranging from the largest, ‘Enterprise,’ to the smallest, ‘Triumph.’ These satellite buses allow for wet launch masses of 14 to 1000 kg and are designed to accommodate various payloads.
Terran Orbital is currently manufacturing 42 satellite buses on behalf of Lockheed Martin for the U.S. Space Development Agency’s Tranche 1 Transport Layer Program. These satellites will support military operations and other satellite constellations in low Earth orbit (LEO).
With its expanded production facility, Terran Orbital aims to meet mission requirements at scale, reduce satellite costs, and increase functionality using standard components. The company’s vision is to provide efficient and cost-effective satellite solutions for the Department of Defense and research customers.
Terran Orbital is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, and has been a trusted partner in the satellite manufacturing industry.