New Satellite Testing Center in Palm Bay
The American defense giant L3Harris Technologies has launched a new satellite integration and testing center in Palm Bay, Florida, a 94,000-square—foot facility known as Building 31. Its cost is 100 million dollars. This is not just another building.: It was created to work with critical systems, including to support the national missile defense program, which is informally called the Golden Dome.
Here, satellites will be assembled, tested and prepared for launch, which will have to see the rockets even in the launch phase.
Golden Dome Support — How it Works
Although construction began even before the Golden Dome became a public initiative, L3Harris immediately relied on promising technologies. The Palm Bay center will test satellites that will become part of a multi-layered space network. These devices are supposed to detect ballistic and hypersonic missiles, track their trajectory and transmit data to land and sea missile defense systems.
Without such centers — with high-precision equipment and a controlled environment — it would be too risky to launch satellites into space. A mistake on Earth is better than a failure in orbit.
Two factories, 200 jobs and high salaries
Building 31 is only part of the plan. The second facility to be built on the same campus is a 98,000—square-foot state-of-the-art microelectronics center. It will produce a "brain" for satellites: microcircuits capable of withstanding radiation, temperature changes and harsh space conditions. Production will be located in a clean room, which is a prerequisite for such technologies.
Both projects will create about 200 new jobs. The average salary ranges from 105 to 111 thousand dollars per year. These are not just assembly line workers, but engineers, technicians, test and micro-design specialists.
Why Florida is Becoming America's Space Hub
Palm Bay is not a random choice. It is only 45 minutes from Cape Canaveral, where SpaceX, ULA, and others launch. The proximity to launch sites, well-developed infrastructure, and state support (including tax incentives) make the region attractive to defense and space companies.
L3Harris has been here for a long time, but is now expanding — because the demand for space defense has grown dramatically. And Florida is becoming not only a rocket launch site, but also a place where these rockets and satellites are assembled, tested and prepared for combat.
Sources
- Zavtra Newspaper – overview of L3Harris expansion in Palm Bay and its support for the “Golden Dome”.
- CNews – satellite technologies and L3Harris’s role in U.S. space & defense infrastructure.
- Axios and additional reports cited confirm investment scale and the center’s national-security function.
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