Made In Space is relocating its headquarters and satellite manufacturing operations to Jacksonville, Florida as part of a multi-year expansion programme.
The aerospace company will maintain a presence in Silicon Valley to support technology programmes and strategic partnerships, but will now house its production, engineering, operations and administrative activities at a near 20,000-square-foot facility in Jacksonville.
It comes after years of behind-the-scenes work, which included the opening of a base in Jacksonville back in 2015 and a subsequent partnership with Space Florida, the state’s aerospace research organisation. In the last 12 months, more than 50 new positions have been created by Made In Space in Jacksonville, with more set to be generated as the company scales its operations to support the development of new technology and satellite missions.
While new missions are on their way, Made In Space will also shift its existing technology programmes across the United States. This will see the NASA-backed Archinaut One project, which is aiming to use 3D printing technology to facilitate the manufacture of large-scale space assets in orbit, resume on the East Coast, along with a series of International Space Station missions scheduled for 2020.
“This is an exciting moment and relocating our headquarters to Jacksonville is a strategic step to position the company for long-term growth,” commented Made In Space President and CEO Andrew Rush. “By expanding our presence in Florida, we can leverage a skilled aerospace workforce, large scale infrastructure to support our growth and key strategic partners like Space Florida that will accelerate our momentum as we continue to develop world-class space technology.”
“Made In Space, through its innovative in-space manufacturing segment and technology which improves life on earth and in space, is forging the way toward a bright new future,” added Space Florida President and CEO Frank DiBello. “We are pleased to have established a long-standing relationship with Made In Space and are proud to welcome the company to Jacksonville on Florida’s First Coast. Space Florida looks forward to Made In Space’s continued growth and success, expanding Florida’s thriving aerospace economic footprint.”