Credit: Thales Alenia Space
Thales Alenia Space officially inaugurated its new Space Smart Factory in Rome on 7 October, with operations expected to begin before the end of the year.
In April 2023, Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales and Leonardo, secured an initial contract from the Italian Space Agency (ASI) to lead the development of the Space Factory 4.0 programme. The initiative aims to create a network of smart, interconnected satellite manufacturing facilities across Italy by 2026, with Argotec, CIRA, and SITAEL joining Thales Alenia Space as consortium partners.
Argotec inaugurated its SpacePark microsatellite production facility in San Mauro Torinese in October 2024. In March 2025, SITAEL inaugurated its satellite propulsion testing and integration facility in Mola di Bari. The Thales Alenia Space satellite manufacturing facility is the third to be inaugurated under the programme. The CIRA Space Qualification Laboratory, the final element of the Space Factory 4.0 programme, is expected to come online in 2026.
According to the company, the Space Smart Factory was built at a cost of over €100 million, “partly financed through PNRR funds.” The National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) represents approximately €190 billion in strategic investments aimed at boosting Italy’s economic growth and resilience following the COVID-19 pandemic. While the 7 October Thales Alenia Space press release did not specify how much funding came from the PNRR initiative, an ASI announcement provided some clarification, stating that 49% of the total investment in the Space Factory 4.0 programme was financed through PNRR funds.
The production capacity of the new Thales Alenia Space facility in Rome will have a “strong focus on micro and small satellites.” According to the company, it will be capable of manufacturing more than 100 satellites per year, with the ability to scale production further should market demand require it.
Operations at the new facility are expected to begin by year’s end, with work on the Sicral 3 satellite for the Italian Defense Ministry. Thales Alenia Space, along with Telespazio, another joint venture between Thales and Leonardo, won the €159 million contract to build the SICRAL 3 secure communications satellite and ground segment in June 2021.