TURIN, Italy — Italian smallsat producer Argotec formally opened a brand new manufacturing facility that may permit it to extend its manufacturing charge whereas it seems at new enterprise alternatives in Europe and america.
The corporate held an occasion right here Oct. 18 to open its new SpacePark headquarters and manufacturing facility, attended by regional and nationwide officers, together with Adolfo Urso, minister for enterprises within the Italian authorities, and Teodoro Valente, president of the Italian area company ASI. The constructing has 11,500 sq. meters of area, together with 1,000 sq. meters of unpolluted rooms.
Whereas SpacePark is new for Argotec, the constructing itself just isn’t new. The distinctive constructing, whose spherical form offers it the texture of an outdated sci-fi spaceship, was designed greater than 4 many years in the past for a paper firm by Oscar Niemeyer, the famed Brazilian architect greatest recognized for designing lots of the key authorities buildings in Brasilia.
David Avino, chief govt of Argotec, stated in an interview that he had thought-about constructing a brand new facility on a greenfield web site, however wished to keep away from the environmental affect of chopping down bushes and pouring concrete. “Then I got here right here and noticed, you already know, a spaceship,” he stated. “And I stated that I need to come right here. I need to have the corporate right here.”
Argotec spent 25 million euros ($27 million) renovating the constructing, including clear rooms and mission management facilities. That required some work to take care of the constructing’s uncommon design. “Every little thing needed to be restructured right into a round form,” he stated. “However the closing concept was to have some of the superior area factories in Europe.”
The corporate has put aside 1,200 sq. meters of the constructing for SpacePark HUB, which Avino described as an accelerator for startups growing applied sciences that Argotec might use for its spacecraft.
“They should have one thing already at know-how readiness stage six or seven,” he stated of firms that may then spend one or two years in SpacePark HUB. “We’re working collectively, enhancing the capabilities of their merchandise after which flying in area with a extra steady product.”
SpacePark is designed to supply as much as one satellite tv for pc per week. That capability will initially assist tasks like IRIDE, an Earth remark constellation funded by the Italian authorities. Argotec was initially underneath contract to construct 10 satellites and signed a contract Oct. 16 for 15 further satellites.
Along with SpacePark, Argotec has two services in america, in Largo, Maryland and Melbourne, Florida. That enables the corporate to faucet into curiosity from U.S. authorities prospects for small satellites. Argotec has 15 workers in america, in comparison with 200 at SpacePark, however Avino stated his firm is increasing in America.
Regardless of the funding in constructing out SpacePark, he stated the corporate stays worthwhile. He added the corporate could search to lift funding within the coming years to assist its U.S. enlargement and for analysis and improvement in the direction of a purpose of getting 80% of its satellite tv for pc subsystems constructed in-house. He added the corporate could take into account an preliminary public providing of shares in three to 5 years.
Argotec doesn’t anticipate to wish to take a position a lot in enlargement of SpacePark, although, because the constructing is ready to accommodate as much as 600 workers. “We’ve room to develop.”
