Construction of York Space Systems’ fourth production facility is complete. Photo: York Space Systems

Construction is complete on York Space Systems’ fourth production facility, which will double York’s production capacity to more than 1,000 spacecraft per year. The new facility, nicknamed “Potomac,” is 60,000 square feet, and located near York’s headquarters in Denver, Colorado. 

The new facility has environmental test bays with 50-foot crane hooks and 10 trailer docks for shipping and receiving. York Space expects initial operating capability by the fourth quarter of this year. 

York said its existing production facilities are enough to support its Space Force and commercial contracts, but the new facility is a direct response to its strong commercial and government demand. 

York is a prime on multiple contracts for the Space Development Agency (SDA) — it is building 42 satellites for the Tranche 1 Transport Layer (T1TL) and 12 satellites for the Tranche 1 Demonstration and Experimentation System (T1DES). 

“Our new Potomac facility represents a significant milestone in York’s growth trajectory, driven by steadily increasing demand from new and existing customers. This expansion ensures we continue to deliver the most capable and secure solutions on the timelines our customers demand,” said Dirk Wallinger, CEO of York Space Systems. “We’re thrilled to double down again on human and infrastructure planning to realize our vision of real job creation in support of a flourishing space economy right here in our hometown.”

A number of manufacturers on the SDA contracts are increasing their production space. Last week, Lockheed Martin announced a new smallsat processing facility with the SDA’s T1TL as the first anchor customer.