Jeff Thornburg, CEO of Portal Space Systems. Photo: Portal Space Systems

Satellite developer Portal Space Systems on Tuesday said it has opened a 50,000 square-foot manufacturing facility, the startup’s first as it prepares to begin production of its highly maneuverable Supernova spacecraft.

The facility in Bothell, Wash., near Seattle is three miles from its existing 8,000 square-foot design and testing hub where it is developing Supernova and its subsystems. Portal Space has 35 employees.

“With growing demand from both our commercial and defense partners, this new facility marks the next strategic step in Portal’s evolution,” Jeff Thornburg, the company’s CEO, said in a statement. “By expanding our footprint in Bothell, we’re doubling down on local talent, proximity to core operations, and a growing aerospace ecosystem supported by state leadership.”

Portal’s first mission to orbit is planned for early 2026 aboard a Momentus Vigoride orbital service vehicle. That mission will be used to validate key subsystems for Supernova.

In April, Portal announced a $17.5 million seed round to support the full-scale demonstration of the transorbital Supernova. Previously, the company raised $5.5 million in a pre-seed round.

This story was first published by Defense Daily