On Thursday, March 19, 2026, NewSpace Systems (NSS) officially opened its new 5,200 m² manufacturing hub in Somerset West, South Africa. The facility is now the largest commercial space component and sub-systems manufacturing site on the African continent, significantly expanding the region’s capacity to support the global satellite supply chain.
The purpose-built facility is designed to meet the high-volume production requirements of modern satellite constellations. As Africa’s largest exporter of space-utilized hardware, NSS currently supports the majority of commercial spacecraft manufacturers globally, including several blue-chip companies with constellations exceeding 500 satellites.
Context: Scaling for Global Constellation Demand
The expansion marks a major milestone in NSS’s transition from a specialized component provider to a high-cadence industrial manufacturer. Since breaking ground on the advanced facility in October 2024, the company has focused on scaling its Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) product lines.
NSS’s growth has been fueled by the rapid expansion of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations, which require flight-proven hardware that can be produced at scale without compromising on quality. The company’s products, ranging from sun sensors to reaction wheels, currently fly on spacecraft weighing up to six tons.
Technical Specifications and Infrastructure
The new Somerset West hub features one of the most advanced commercial cleanrooms in the Southern Hemisphere, engineered to meet stringent IPC and ECSS aerospace standards.
- Total Footprint: 5,200 m² of operational space.
- Cleanroom: 1,260 m² state-of-the-art facility (ISO 14644-1 certified).
- Laboratories: 120 m² dedicated engineering lab for R&D.
- Specialized Zones: Helmholtz coil calibration areas for magnetically sensitive hardware, dark rooms for optical testing, and thermal/vibration testing zones.
- Production Environment: 6S LEAN-certified assembly lines for repeatable, high-precision manufacturing.
“Big, beautiful, and built for space manufacturing,” said Tanya Lerm, CEO of NewSpace Systems. “Every corner of this cleanroom reflects our commitment to quality, reliability, and mission success. From the controlled air environment to the precision our customers demand, every aspect of this facility was engineered to deliver hardware that performs flawlessly in space.”
Integration and Quality Assurance
By consolidating design, qualification, and manufacturing under one roof, NSS maintains vertical integration that allows for competitive pricing while adhering to the highest international standards. The company is currently upgrading its digital systems to enhance data visibility and operational efficiency across its global offices in the U.S., UK, and New Zealand.
TVAC Testing and Future Innovation
Following the successful opening of phase one, NSS plans to integrate Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) testing capabilities into the facility shortly. This will allow for end-to-end environmental qualification on-site. The company is also developing its next generation of intelligent subsystems, which will feature built-in diagnostics and AI-driven capabilities to meet the evolving requirements of the 2027-2030 launch manifest.
