Millennium Space Systems is poised to double its small satellite production in 2024, actively seeking to balance manufacturing capacity and efficiency as it expands. CEO Tony Gingiss, who took on the role in December 2022, has prioritized managing the company’s growth.
Founded in 2001 and acquired by Boeing in 2018, Millennium has successfully delivered 14 commercial and government satellites to orbit. The company plans to produce a similar number this year and aims to double its deliveries next year. Currently, there are approximately 70 to 80 vehicles in its backlog, slated for delivery over the next four years.
Gingiss emphasizes the importance of bolstering the team’s infrastructure, processes, and tools to meet increased demand. Millennium plays a vital role in several Space Force programs, including 12 satellites for the Missile Track Custody program and eight vehicles for the Space Development Agency’s Foo Fighter initiative, both of which focus on space-based missile warning and tracking. Initial satellite deliveries for these programs are scheduled for fiscal year 2027.
To support upcoming contracts and various Defense Department and NASA programs, the company focuses on two key areas: efficiency and capacity. In collaboration with Boeing, Millennium aims to introduce automation and increase commonality across product lines, thereby raising output without expanding its overall footprint. The company is working to streamline operations, ensuring that processes from manufacturing to analysis are completed more swiftly.
In response to the Foo Fighter contract received last year, Millennium announced in April that it would expand its vehicle integration capabilities by utilizing an additional 18,000 square feet within its existing facility in El Segundo, California, which represents a 30% increase in its manufacturing capacity set to be operational later this year.
Gingiss notes that by enhancing both efficiency and capacity, the company can increase production while reducing costs per unit. As Millennium prepares for planned growth, it remains open to unplanned increases in production as the Department of Defense (DOD) pursues initiatives like Golden Dome and invests in tactically responsive space capabilities, which could necessitate rapid production increases.
To meet potential “unforecasted demand” for certain parts common across its product lines, Millennium has built additional capacity into its inventory. Although this does not equate to a complete vehicle, it allows for a base level of responsiveness to customer needs. The company works closely with its clients, such as the SDA and SSC, to understand their strategies and the flexibility required for future vehicle acquisitions or variants.
Gingiss emphasizes the importance of maintaining close communication with customers to gain clear signals about their future demands and strategies.
Courtney Albon, the author of the article, is a C4ISRNET space and emerging technology reporter who has covered the U.S. military since 2012, focusing on the Air Force and Space Force, along with significant acquisition, budget, and policy challenges facing the Defense Department.
