NEO Production Complex
NewOrbit Space's planned UK satellite manufacturing facility, due to open in 2027.
Last refreshed: 15 June 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Can a 2,000 sq m Thames Valley factory make VLEO satellites viable at commercial scale?
Timeline for NEO Production Complex
NewOrbit raises $18.5m for very low orbit
UK Startups and Innovation- Where is the NewOrbit NEO Production Complex?
- In the Thames Valley, Berkshire, close to NewOrbit's Reading headquarters. The 2,000 sq m facility is due to open in early 2027.Source: NewOrbit / Tech Funding News
- What will the NEO Production Complex make?
- VLEO satellites for NewOrbit Space, starting at ten per year and scaling to several per week. It will integrate the company's first commercial satellite ahead of a 2028 launch.Source: British Interplanetary Society / The Engineer
- When does the NEO Production Complex open?
- Early 2027, funded by NewOrbit's $18.5m Series A closed in June 2026.Source: NewOrbit press release
Background
The NEO Production Complex is NewOrbit Space's planned satellite manufacturing facility in the Thames Valley, Berkshire, close to the company's Reading headquarters. Announced alongside the close of NewOrbit's $18.5m Series A in June 2026, the facility is due to open in early 2027 and will integrate the company's first commercial VLEO satellite for launch in 2028 . The site will cover 2,000 square metres and is designed to ramp from an initial rate of ten satellites per year to several per week at full capacity.
The complex is purpose-built for the manufacturing constraints of very low Earth orbit operations. VLEO satellites at 200-300km face atmospheric drag that degrades their orbits faster than conventional LEO constellations, which means they require more frequent replacement and therefore higher production throughput than traditional satellite factories. At full operation, NewOrbit claims the Complex will be Europe's largest dedicated VLEO production facility.
The Thames Valley is emerging as a cluster for UK space manufacturing, with the region hosting several propulsion and small-satellite companies alongside the established aerospace supply chain around Farnborough. The NEO Production Complex, if it reaches its stated throughput, would be one of the larger dedicated satellite factories in the UK by unit volume.