Space Machines Company to begin manufacture at Bradfield this year

Spacecraft business Space Machines Company (SMC) intends to begin assembly at the NSW government’s Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility (AMRF) in Western Sydney later this year.

According to a statement from the government on Saturday, SMC will set up at the AMRF at Bradfield aiming “to develop hyperscale production capability” for its satellites. The AMRF is expected to support the company “to initially produce more than 30 units annually, with production expected to scale up to hundreds of units per year by 2030.”

SMC officially opened what was dubbed the nation’s largest industrial-scale spacecraft manufacturing facility at UTS Tech Lab in Sydney in June.

SMC has assembled one vehicle that has reached orbit. It was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California in March last year before communications were lost.

It is currently building another at Tech Lab for the planned Space MAITRI Mission, to be launched from India in 2026. Tech Lab has capacity for 20 spacecraft a year.

Last week @AuManufacturing published an interview with co-founders George Freney and Rajat Kulshrestha (see below), where the pair discussed plans to potentially build thousands of the company’s Optimus Viper spacecraft by “early next decade”.

State industry minister Anoulack Chanthivong said on Saturday that the “Rapid Australian Production & Integration for Distributed Space (RAPID) agreement” with the company is a “direct example” of the benefits of scaling and retaining businesses for the benefit of NSW’s economy.

“While early-stage businesses play an important role in our innovation ecosystem, NSW must retain these businesses as they grow, maximising their direct and spillover benefits,” said Chanthivong.

“Once they achieve scale, businesses like Space Machines Company can help deliver significant economic returns and substantial export income, attract world-leading talent, and contribute to a robust local innovation ecosystem.

The announcement added that opportunities are being explored for the company at Bradfield’s Second Building, as well as “a dedicated Hyperscale Satellite Production Facility in Bradfield City.”

Building One at Bradfield City Centre, within Western Sydney Aerotropolis, was completed in December last year and officially opened in March.

A development application for the Second Building, part of Stage 2 of the AMRF, was approved in April. Construction is expected to begin by year’s end.

Picture: supplied