York Space Systems Announces Spacecraft Factory Expansion; Appoints Barry Behnken as Engineering VP

York Space Systems has expanded the spacecraft manufacturing facility at its Denver headquarters as part of efforts to accelerate mass production and delivery of satellites over the next year.

York said Thursday the expansion will enable the company to test up to 20 spacecraft per week while increasing throughput by 80 percent through simultaneous spacecraft manufacturing.

The company offers an “S-class” stabilized satellite that features a 3-axis design intended for constellations supporting communications, navigation and Earth observation activities.

Dirk Wallinger, CEO of York, said the move comes as part of the company's efforts to address increasing government and private sector demands for the S-class satellites.

In addition to the expansion, York also hired U.S. Air Force veteran Barry Behnken to serve as vice president of engineering. 

Charles Beames, executive chairman of York, said Behnken’s experience will help the company support its government clients in deploying satellites with multisensor and multipayload features.

Behnken previously served as a program director at the National Reconnaissance Office and spent time as a technical fellow at Raytheon Technologies. He is also the co-founder of San Francisco-based startup AEye.