MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis went to Merritt Island on Monday morning to announce the satellite manufacturing company Terran Orbital is bringing a production facility to the Space Coast.
The facility is projected to bring 2,000 jobs to the area and will be located at Space Florida's launch and landing facility, the former landing site for NASA's space shuttle program adjacent to Kennedy Space Center.
"This will be the largest satellite manufacturing facility in the entire world," DeSantis said during a news conference at Space Florida headquarters.
DeSantis said the project is expected to create more than 2,000 new jobs with an estimated annual average wage of $84,000 by late 2025.
"The new campus will enable complete satellite manufacturing from the smallest components to the final product," DeSantis said. "This will mean circuit boards and space vehicles. Satellite manufacturing is an important part of the economy here on the Space Coast, and this really ups the ante."
About 65% of Cape Canaveral's launches in the past year were private. Expectations are that number will increase to 81% next year. Officials are exploring expansion at Cape Canaveral to handle the increased load.