**Company Overview**
A California startup, Apex, is revolutionizing satellite bus manufacturing by creating a line of customizable buses that can be configured and delivered within weeks. Apex operates from a 50,000-square-foot facility located in downtown Los Angeles.
**Facility and Production**
An iPad at the entrance of the factory allows customers to select configurations, obtain pricing, and place their orders. During a tour in December, the factory had limited activity as it awaited the establishment of production lines, with only a few employees engaged in the assembly of three Aries satellite buses. The Aries bus weighs 100 kilograms and is comparable to the size of a kitchen table; it can transport an additional 100 kilograms of payload. The first Aries satellite was launched in March, following a clean-sheet design completed merely a year earlier.
**Production Goals**
Apex’s production capacity is projected to ramp up significantly; by April, the company aims to produce 12 satellites each month. Ian Cinnamon, the co-founder and CEO, emphasized that few companies could match their speed of assembling three buses within a quarter, let alone scale up to 12 per month.
**Industry Context**
The space industry has increasingly shifted from large, bespoke satellite systems to a model that favors proliferated satellite architectures, driven by entities like the Space Force. Apex positions itself to meet this demand by offering a quick and scalable manufacturing process essential for building numerous satellites efficiently.
**Current Projects**
The three completed Aries buses are now in Apex’s clean room, awaiting delivery to clients. One bus will be sent to Anduril for military space missions, while another is designated for a secretive Earth-sensing project. A third bus was crafted for a commercial customer.
**Future Expansion**
Apex plans to introduce additional products, including a mid-sized 300-kilogram satellite bus named Nova and a flat, stackable 500-kilogram bus called Comet, which is designed for efficient assembly similar to Starlink satellites. The proposed output of 12 buses per month could comprise any combination of these three models, as they share numerous components.
**Contracts and Workforce Growth**
While specific details on government contracts are limited, Apex reportedly has nearly a dozen direct contracts with government entities. The company is committed to expanding its operations, planning for future production capabilities that exceed 12 satellites monthly and a potential workforce increase to nearly 200 employees this year.
**Long-term Plans**
Cinnamon indicated that Apex will remain based in Los Angeles but has ambitions to expand further into different locations in the United States and internationally, as they collaborate with both the U.S. government and allied nations.
