OC Business Journal

Irvine small-satellite maker Tyvak aims to ramp up pace of launches

Hiring Push Continues In Irvine Amid New Deals

Tyvak Satellite Solutions in Irvine aims to deliver more than 1,000 satellites per year as prices come down and both defense and commercial uses grow, says company president Christian “Boris” Becker.

“Space is big,” Becker says plainly, as he looks forward to the just-started year. “There’s plenty of room.”

The 1,000-satellite goal, which is likely several years away, will represent major growth for Tyvak.

“In our history, we have launched dozens of our own satellites, including over a half dozen in 2021,” according to Becker. He says a previously reported number of more than 220 satellites includes projects that Tyvak supported.

Tyvak is part of the Floridabased Terran Orbital Corp., which has taken over four floors at the new 400 Spectrum Center tower and announced plans to develop a new $300 million commercial spacecraft facility in Florida in partnership with Space Florida, Florida’s aerospace and spaceport development authority.

Terran co-founder and Chief Executive Marc Bell expects to have between 400 and 500 employees working at the Irvine Spectrum tower office, focusing on engineering, design and development work for small satellites.

Becker says Terran, which aims to go public this year via a reverse merger with a SPAC, had already moved into two of the floors at 400 Spectrum as of last month.

Defense Area

“In the defense area, we’re going to be delivering a series of satellites,” Becker told the Business Journal last month.

That includes satellites for prime contractor Lockheed Martin.

Tyvak will also be delivering on the first group of satellites for the U.S. Defense Department’s Space Development Agency, as well as NASA.

The company designs and builds satellites that range from about 25 pounds and the size of a boot box to mini fridges that weigh from around 200 to over 800 pounds, according to Becker, a retired rear admiral in the U.S. Navy.

In 2019, the Australian Financial Review quoted a Tyvak executive as saying a minisatellite could take between six months to 18 months to build and, depending on the specifications, “could cost between $500,000 and up to $10 million.”

Barranca Facility

Becker says the company’s original facility on Barranca Parkway, near the Irvine train station, will stay indefinitely despite the expansion elsewhere in the city, and the working area has already been reconfigured for more satellite production.

Tyvak is rapidly expanding its workforce, Becker said. The company declined to specify the number of employees there so far.

Becker said: “Tyvak is a brand, and the name won’t go away.”

The company president praises the talent pool in Orange County.

“And of course, the weather’s pretty good,” Becker says.

Hitting New Heights

The Irvine firm and its parent Terran Orbital have seen several milestones of late.

Terran last month announced the successful stationing of the EchoStar Global 3 small satellite into its final operational orbit. Tyvak designed, manufactured, and operates the satellite on behalf of EchoStar Corp. (Nasdaq: SATS).

Also, the U.S. Air Force last year awarded an $8.4 million contract to Tyvak to support a “Precise” flight experiment projected for launch in 2024.

The Precise flight experiment represents a new orbital regime for the Air Force Research Laboratory in very low Earth orbit, or as little as 250 kilometers above Earth, according to a statement by Terran Orbital.

Among other notable projects, Tyvak has developed and built the spacecraft infrastructure for Capstone, a satellite destined for the NASA lunar-orbit project.

Tyvak counts a mix of government, commercial and defense clients, providing a suite of satellite solutions to our customers in the U.S. and across the globe. It doesn’t disclose revenue. ■

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2022-01-17T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-01-17T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://ocbusinessjournal.pressreader.com/article/281809992259599

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