Mentioned:BA BAE Systems
BAE Systems is expanding its Colorado manufacturing footprint with a 130,000-square-foot facility in Weld County to support space-based hardware and sensor production for US Space Force programs. The facility will employ roughly 600 workers at full capacity and begin production in early 2028.
What's happening
- BAE purchased a 130,000-square-foot production building on 13 acres in Weld County, north of Denver, to manufacture space-based hardware and sensors.
- The facility will reach approximately 600 employees at full capacity with retrofitting and equipment acquisition continuing through end of 2026.
- Production is expected to begin in early 2028, supporting multiple US Space Force space defense programs including missile warning satellites and advanced sensors.
- The expansion complements BAE's existing manufacturing operations in Boulder, Broomfield, and Westminster.
Why it matters
- BAE is adding dedicated production capacity for critical space defense systems as demand from US Space Force missile warning and overhead persistent infrared programs grows.
- The 600-person workforce expansion addresses manufacturing bottlenecks in space-based sensor and satellite hardware production across multiple concurrent programs.
- Establishing a second major Colorado manufacturing hub diversifies BAE's regional production footprint and reduces dependency on existing Boulder and Broomfield facilities.
Going deeper
- BAE recently completed Critical Design Review for the $1.2-billion Epoch 2 program, which will deliver 10 medium Earth orbit satellites with infrared missile launch detection sensors.
- The company delivered sensor hardware and controller components for the US Space Force's Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared Polar program, with first payload launch scheduled for 2028.
- BAE secured a recent US Space Force contract to develop compact radio terminals for space-based communications designed to withstand jamming, electromagnetic interference, and radiation.
Source: The Defense Post · Oct 23, 2026 · Drafted with Claude, reviewed by Industrial Base Alpha.
