Spacecraft Bus Design and Manufacture  •  Satellite+Payload System Integration and Test

General Dynamics has a legacy of engineering excellence that includes the design, manufacture, integration and test of several high performance satellites for the Air Force, DARPA, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), the Navy, NASA, GeoEye, and others.

Recently launched General Dynamics satellites include the commercial high-resolution GeoEye-1 Earth Imager, NASA's Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope, the Air Force's Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS), and MDA's Near Field Infrared Experiment (NFIRE).  For links to all of our spacecraft/satellite developments and related products, click on "Products".

General Dynamics' spacecraft bus developments utilize design-reuse from our filight-proven modular AccommodatingBus™ family.  This approach reduces cost, schedule, and risk and has given us a 100% on-orbit success record in diverse and challenging space applications.

Our spacecraft manufacturing, integration and system testing is all performed under one roof at our 135,000 square foot ultra-modern Arizona Space Center in Gilbert, AZ (Phoenix area).  The facility will support the simultaneous build of multiple satellites.  System test facilities include EMI/EMC, vibration/shock, acoustic, and thermo-vac.  Our high bay will accommodate an integrated satellite of up to 62 feet in height and up to 40,000 lbs (18,144 kg) in weight.

We are certified to ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management System for the design and manufacture of space systems, and our manufacturing and test facilities have been granted a TOP SECRET Facility Clearance by the Defense Security Service (DSS).  Areas are constructed to meet the DCID 6/9 standards for Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities and NIISPOM requirements for Closed and Restricted areas.