Aerospacelab Selects Torrance for Satellite Factory and HQ

Aerospacelab has leased a 34,700-square-foot industrial building in Torrance for its U.S. headquarters and first U.S.-based manufacturing plant.

The Belgian-based satellite-maker inked a deal for the three-story office and manufacturing building at 20000 South Vermont Avenue, Bisnow reported. Terms of the lease from landlord Park and Lauren, based in Compton, were not disclosed.

“This was an ideal location for Aerospacelab because of greater Los Angeles’ serving as a booming aerospace hub for start-ups in close proximity to the U.S. Space Force Base, Space Force Space Systems Command offices, major contractors and other aerospace companies,” Tina Ghataore, CEO of Aerospacelab North America, said in a statement.

The building, built in 2019, contains more than 6,500 square feet of offices, according to brokerage JLL. It will serve as Aerospacelab’s first U.S. factory, producing an average of two satellites a week, according to a release from the company. Last year, the firm opened an office in Palo Alto.

The South Bay, with historic ties to the aerospace and aviation industries, has a growing number of aerospace companies.

This year, the nonprofit Aerospace Corporation announced plans to invest $100 million into its campus in El Segundo, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The nearby City of Long Beach has taken an active role in attracting the industry. Earlier this year, the city put out a request for proposals to develop a 17-acre parcel near the Long Beach Airport into a facility “enhancing the aeronautical services throughout the region” It has tried to rebrand as “Space Beach” to move from traditional airplanes to space manufacturing.

— Dana Bartholomew