Nearly $100 million will be invested by The Aerospace Corporation (Aerospace) in a second state-of-the-art research and development facility in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This facility, recently approved by the Aerospace Board of Trustees, is planned to be 70 percent classified space and includes a multi-purpose high-technology center to meet the growing requirements of the U.S. Space Command, the U.S. Space Force, and a variety of other customers.
Construction starts this month with groundbreaking activities planned for this fall. Completion and occupancy are scheduled for spring 2022.
“This new, high-tech facility furthers our commitment to supporting our many partners in the Colorado Springs region in advancing our nation’s security in space,” said Steve Isakowitz, Aerospace’s president and CEO. “The space enterprise is changing faster than ever, and our increased capabilities will be critical in helping our government partners tackle critical problems and shape future concepts for space warfighting.”
Aerospace employs approximately 240 engineers, scientists, and analysts at its current facility located in the Colorado Springs Airport Business Park. These employees primarily work for the company’s Defense Systems Group, Strategic Space Operations, and the national engineering technology hub, Engineering Technology Group. The second building will be adjacent to the existing location and feature 90,000 square feet of working space, which has the capacity to accommodate company plans to add 200 technical employees.
The new building will enhance the company’s work providing technical expertise to define and build a more resilient space architecture. Additionally, it will support acquisition activities, test and evaluation, tactics, techniques and procedures development, as well as furthering concept exploration.