Advanced space system manufacturer Fortastra has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Hadrian to explore how advanced manufacturing methodologies, including 3D printing, could be applied within spacecraft development programs.
Fortastra designs and operates manoeuvrable spacecraft for on-orbit security and is surveying opportunities to enhance its prototyping and development operations.
Its overriding aim is to address 'urgent national security space missions', and the aim of the partnership with Hadrian will be to establish a framework for technical collaboration.
Hadrian will provide its expertise in precision-machining and additive manufacturing capabilities, with Fortastra able to tap into its highly automated production environment. Fortastra is hoping to benefit from greater speed, production visibility, and manufacturing resilience, as it strives to accelerate program timelines, reduce operational bottlenecks, and support the scalable production of autonomous spacecraft for U.S. government and commercial missions.
The space company will contribute its extensive experience qualifying hardware for spaceflight to the partnership, which it expects to help validate and mature Hadrian's manufacturing technologies for deployment in demanding space environments.
Hadrian facilities in Torrance, CA (left), and Mesa, AZ (right).
Among the key initiatives of the partnership are:
- Advanced Manufacturing Assessment: Joint evaluation of additive manufacturing (metal and polymer 3D printing, direct energy deposition, binder jetting), subtractive manufacturing (precision CNC machining, EDM, laser cutting), and hybrid and emerging approaches (cold spray, friction stir welding, composite layup), as applied to Fortastra’s satellite bus programs.
- Design Review and Engineering Collaboration: Hadrian will be invited to participate in design reviews and major engineering milestones for Fortastra’s satellite bus programs, including Design for Manufacturability (DfM) reviews, manufacturing feasibility assessments, risk identification, and development of manufacturing roadmaps.
- Space Qualification Expertise Exchange: Fortastra will share its expertise in qualifying hardware for the space environment, including applicable MIL-STD, ECSS, SMC and NASA standards knowledge, to support the development and maturation of Hadrian’s advanced manufacturing technologies for space applications.
“Fortastra is building the future of autonomous orbital systems, and manufacturing is one of the most crucial leverage points in delivering capability at speed and scale,” said Mike Smayda, CEO of Fortastra. “This partnership with Hadrian brings world-class manufacturing expertise directly into our engineering process, positioning us to pursue funded prototype efforts that validate advanced manufacturing’s impact on satellite development for national security missions.”
"The rapidly evolving space environment demands defence capabilities that combine unprecedented precision, speed, and reliability, and that's what Hadrian is built to deliver," said Matthew Parker, Vice President of Additive Manufacturing at Hadrian. "Through this partnership with Fortastra, we're bringing our high-volume production and large-scale additive manufacturing capabilities to address critical satellite development challenges in a fundamentally new way. The result will meaningfully compress timelines, reduce costs, and improve performance for the U.S. Space Force and Intelligence Community."
Earlier this year, Hadrian officially launched a new division focused on additive manufacturing, which has been designed to deliver ‘scalable, production-ready additive manufacturing’ for U.S. defence customers and allied partners.
