L3Harris has completed the expansion of its space manufacturing facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to support US homeland missile defense.
The 95,000-square-foot (8,825-square-meter) facility upgrade under a $125-million investment will support the production of on-orbit technology for the country’s “Golden Dome,” a constellation of advanced satellites and sensors to detect, track, and intercept missile threats.
On-orbit technology consists of capabilities that maintain, repair, or upgrade satellites and other space infrastructure while they are already in orbit, extending lifespan and enhancing resiliency.
The expanded facility will also support the engineering, integration, testing, and program management for the company’s missile defense initiatives.
This includes L3Harris’ missile tracking satellites for the Missile Defense Agency’s Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor program and the Space Development Agency’s Tracking Layer program.
“Accelerating the nation’s missile warning and defense capabilities is a priority for national security as we move forward with supporting President Trump’s vision for America’s Golden Dome,” noted Ed Zoiss, Space and Airborne Systems president at L3Harris.
“With the capacity to produce 48 payloads per year, we continue to deliver at the scale and speed our defense customers require and are successfully poised to protect against threats to our homeland.”
These capabilities are timed for delivery in the latter half of US President Donald Trump’s term.
Apart from defense uses, the facility will also cater to satellite production for global civil weather programs.
Meanwhile, Rep. Marlin Stutzman said, “The new investments and construction by L3Harris in Fort Wayne are a crucial step in making the defensive capabilities of our country ‘Made in America’ again.”
