Begins Production Of First Orbital Vehicle

Vector, a nanosatellite launch company comprised of new-space and enterprise software industry veterans from SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, McDonnell Douglas, Boeing, Sea Launch and VMware, has selected a final construction team to build its state-of-the-art launch vehicle manufacturing facility in Tucson, AZ. Vector selected Holladay Properties as the lead developer on the project, Barker Contracting as the contractor, and architects from Swaim Associates LTD to carry out Vector's vision for the new factory.

Over the last year, the City of Tucson, Pima County and the Arizona Commerce Authority led the facility development through a public-private partnership agreement to further the economic advancement of the Arizona technology and aerospace industry. Vector's new facility, expected to be completed by early 2019, will bring 200 jobs to the Tucson area including jobs in engineering, manufacturing and technical support. The public-private partnership is expected to have an overall direct and indirect economic impact on the region totaling $290 million over the next five years.

"Vector is extremely proud to call Arizona home and we look forward to growing our foothold in the area with this brand-new manufacturing facility," said Jim Cantrell, CEO and co-founder of Vector.  "We've made huge strides in technical progress and vehicle production this year, ramping up to producing our goal of one hundred rockets per year. By building this new facility, we're not only going to be adding jobs, but we will be providing many with the ability to launch careers in aerospace."

Vector's 92,500 square-foot factory will feature two soft-production facilities, a 30,750 square-foot two-story office space for its headquarters and a dedicated area for special projects including research and development.  The future facility is designed to produce 100 vehicles per year to start, with room to expand production across two additional manufacturing floors, increasing potential production to up to 200 vehicles per year. Vector has also begun production of its first orbital launch vehicle in its existing facilities, also in AZ, continuing its progress towards achieving the company's goal of a successful orbital launch in Q2 2018.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with Vector to build their new home in Arizona," said Brian Barker, President at Barker Contracting. "Vector's vision for their manufacturing facility and headquarters was a natural fit for Barker Contracting's expertise and we look forward to building a space designed specifically for their team."

(Source: Vector Aerospace news release. Image from Vector Aerospace website)

FMI: www.vectorspacesystems.com