Photo: Argotec

Italian space company Argotec is opening a manufacturing facility in Largo, Maryland, expanding its business to the U.S. 

Argotec is investing $25 million to launch its business in the U.S., the company announced Wednesday. The company plans to use the 20,000 square foot facility in Maryland to design, develop, build, test and operate satellites. The facility will bring around 100 jobs to the area. 

The first product built at the facility will be a universal space transponder-lite, designed to improve radio frequency for satellites in deep space and to facilitate high-speed communications services in deep space, in collaboration with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Argotec plans to expand production of the custom UST-Lite line and says the company already has customers for it.  

Argotec also appointed Corbett Hoenninger as U.S. managing director. Hoenninger recently served as senior vice president of Engineering at Sierra Space, and previously worked at NASA Johnson Space Center. 

“Our recent missions with NASA … have proved the reliability and performance of our satellites, and we’re ready to take that expertise to the next level with our new U.S. manufacturing facility and in our collaboration with JPL,” commented David Avino, Argotec CEO and founder. “These activities reflect our strength and stable growth as a company and demonstrate our commitment to the U.S. market.”