Rocket Lab USA, Inc. Expanding Operations in Littleton

LITTLETON, CO —Rocket Lab USA, Inc., which produces satellites and space systems, announced this week that it will open a new space systems complex in Littleton.

The company said that the facility will support customer demand for flight software, mission simulation and Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) services.

With the move, the California-based company will be expanding its presence in Colorado after it acquired Littleton-based aerospace engineering firm Advanced Solutions, Inc. (ASI) in October of last year. ASI is known for its off-the-shelf spacecraft flight software, MAX.

Rocket Lab said it plans to add 40,0000-square-feet of lab, production and office space near ASI's existing 15,000-square foot facility off Shaffer Parkway in Littleton.

The complex, which will have two mission operations centers, is expected to be completed in 2022, and Rocket Lab said its Colorado staff will double to more than 120 people as a result.

According to a release, Rocket Lab's Colorado-based ASI team currently is supporting 49 spacecraft that are operating MAX flight software. The team also will be supporting several upcoming missions, including the company's CAPSTONE mission to the moon and Escapade mission to Mars for NASA, which features Rocket Lab Photon spacecraft.

Peter Beck, chief executive of Rocket Lab, told Space News recently that the expansion into Littleton is to support the growing demand for ASI's products.

"The team has done really well in the last six months over there and there's been a lot of growth," Beck said. "We need to double the size of that not only for meeting current programs but also ambitions for the future."

The ASI acquisition and decision to build the new facility helps to expand Rocket Lab's presence in Colorado, which it called "the nation's second-largest space economy."

"There's a tremendous center of gravity of talent (in Colorado)," Beck said. "In the industry at the moment, talent is the toughest part."

According to Space News, Rocket Lab is best known for its Electron small launch vehicle. The first Electron launch of the year is expected this month, and it will be carrying a pair of BlackSky imaging satellites as part of a contract arranged through Spaceflight.