ICEYE Opens New Spacecraft Production Facility in Irvine, California, Expands US Manufacturing, Research and Customer Operations

By AIT News Desk On Apr 16, 2021

ICEYE enters agreement with In-Q-Tel to advance capabilities for the U.S. Government.

ICEYE, the global leader in persistent monitoring of Earth from its constellation of radar imaging satellites, announced that it has opened a new manufacturing facility in Irvine, California. The company’s U.S. headquarters will host the production of multiple spacecraft simultaneously and also contain a research and development lab, offices, and a customer engagement space. Importantly, the Irvine location also houses a Mission Operations Center for monitoring and operating U.S. licensed spacecraft.

ICEYE radar satellite image of Irvine, CA

“With our new production facility in the U.S., we will add significant next-generation capabilities to our space and ground segments,” said Jerry Welsh, CEO of ICEYE US. “This will provide us with the most reliable operational foundation, and give us the flexibility and efficiency to best accommodate the requirements of our U.S. government customers.”

In line with the company’s rapid growth and strong customer demand, ICEYE US is hiring talents that have skills in spacecraft engineering, assembly, integration and testing, project management, software development, ground services, sales, and customer service. The company expects to have offices on the east and west coasts by mid-2021.

“Like other aerospace hubs around the country, Southern California has a rich space legacy, a tremendous talent pool, and an excellent base of suppliers and partners,” said Deepak Grover, Vice President of Operations at ICEYE US. “We look forward to further fueling our growth trajectory and Irvine is the perfect spot to set up our new facility.”

In order to better serve U.S. customers, ICEYE has signed an agreement with In-Q-Tel to accelerate the delivery of cutting-edge capabilities to U.S. government organizations. In-Q-Tel identifies and partners with companies developing innovations that have both high national security impact and the potential for commercial success.

“ICEYE’s world-class SAR satellites and their market-leading global coverage allows for capture despite time of day and weather conditions. We are pleased and excited to bring this technology to our government partners,” offered Simon Davidson, Managing Partner, In-Q-Tel, and EVP, IQT Emerge.

“It’s our privilege to join forces with In-Q-Tel to field advanced technologies relevant to our U.S. customers,” said Eric Jensen, President of ICEYE US. “Our new facility strengthens ICEYE’s ability to rapidly deliver decision-quality insights, to build assets for U.S. missions, and to address the hybrid architecture needs of the U.S. government as a trusted provider of commercial services.”

At any given time, most of the Earth is covered in clouds or darkness. Unlike traditional Earth observation satellites, ICEYE’s small radar imaging satellites can form high-resolution images of areas of the Earth in daylight, at night, and through cloud cover. They can ‘see’ any part of the Earth multiple times a day. ICEYE has successfully launched 10 missions to date and operates the world’s largest fleet of commercial synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites.