Sierra Space has chartered a new operation dedicated to supporting national security space as a prime contractor: Sierra Space Defense.
The company also unveiled expansion plans with a new production facility called “Victory Works,” adding 60,000 square feet of manufacturing space and bringing Sierra Space’s total infrastructure to more than one million square feet across seven states.
The launch of Sierra Space Defense and related infrastructure expansion plans are driven by a palpable sense of urgency: the United States is facing new threats and near-peer adversaries at unprecedented levels in the space domain. In response to the evolving threat environment, Sierra Space is retooling its commercial capacity to focus on revitalizing the U.S. defense industrial base through innovative satellite and spacecraft systems technology. Sierra Space will dedicate a new manufacturing facility, called “Victory Works,” to defense technology.
Located in Centennial, Colorado, the 60,000 square-foot space will play a pivotal role in the production of the company’s new Sierra Space Eclipse™ satellite bus line, a key component in Sierra Space’s efforts to enhance the capabilities of the U.S. defense sector. This expansion is on top of 24,000 square feet of existing sites dedicated to national security and defense work.
Since 2023, Sierra Space has secured $1.5 billion in national security and defense contracts, for production on 30 satellites; included in that figure are 18 missile warning and defense satellites awarded by the Space Development Agency (SDA) in January of 2024, as part of a $740 million prime contract to support the SDA’s Tranche 2 Tracking Layer.
In addition, Space Force awarded Sierra Space a “Quick Start” Resilient GPS (R-GPS) agreement in September of 2024. And the company continues to make strides in its spacecraft systems business, boasting more than 20 active contracts for solar arrays and other components.
In the Sierra Space Defense Portfolio:
- Sierra Space Eclipse: a next generation product line of small, high performance, affordable satellites for on-orbit servicing missions
- Sierra Space Ghost: a state-of-the-art space delivery system engineered to safely return objects from space – and through space – directly to precise locations on Earth
- Sierra Space Spectre: a revolutionary satellite designed for precision rendezvous proximity operations (RPO)
- Sierra Black OS: an advanced AI-enabled operating system athat is able to operate across space, air and ground systems seamlessly
Sierra Space Vice President Erik Daehler will helm the new organization.
We are mission-focused and dedicated to supporting our national security customers and the revitalization of the U.S. defense industrial base. Commercial space companies now have a profound responsibility to help lead an entirely new era for national defense,” Daehler said. “The creation of Sierra Space Defense enables stronger partnerships – such as our steadfast partnership with SNC – to tackle the hardest mission problems like Golden Dome. Our new Sierra Space Defense organization is a testament to our dedication to innovation at speed and excellence in satellite and spacecraft systems production, which will shape the future of defense technology.”
Lt. Gen. John E. Shaw (U.S. Space Force, Ret.) serves on Sierra Space’s National Security Space Strategic Advisor Group, said, “The growing scope and scale of what our adversaries are doing in space is alarming, and the threat environment is evolving rapidly as near-peer challenges accelerate,” Shaw said. “Commercial space companies possess the speed and agility required to outpace our adversaries and effectively respond to our critical national security space needs.”