General Atomics Business Opens Satellite Factory in Colorado; Scott Forney, Nick Bucci Quoted

General Atomics’ electromagnetic systems business has expanded its presence in Colorado with a new facility focused on spacecraft manufacturing, integration and testing.

General Atomics said Thursday the 33.5K-square-foot location in Centennial, Colo., will house the production and assessment of spacecraft such as the company’s Orbital Test Bed small-satellite built for lunar and planetary exploration as well as weather and environmental surveillance.

OTB, which is designed to operate with Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Secondary Payload Adapter features, was first showcased in 2018 and launched a year later to carry NASA’s Deep Space Atomic Clock.

Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS, said the company opened the new facility in efforts to address critical demands for smallsat capabilities while supporting defense, civil, commercial and intelligence community clients.

“We have a history of development, integration, test and flight operations that are key to meeting the upcoming challenges to deliver constellation-sized missions to low earth orbit and beyond,” noted Nick Bucci, vice president of missile defense and space systems at GA-EMS.

The new complex will additionally house a mission operations center focused on on-orbit satellite missions and customer payload operations, according to the company.