Spectrum Astro

Spectrum Astro
Company typePrivate
IndustryAerospace, Defense
PredecessorOrbital Science Corp.
Founded1988
FounderW. David Thompson
Headquarters
Gilbert, Arizona
,
United States
Area served
Worldwide
Products

Spectrum Astro was a privately held American corporation that designed, manufactured, and sold satellites.[2][3][4][5] Spectrum Astro's, at the time, unique satellite production method was to design and manufacture space satellites, in their entirety, at a single research, design and manufacturing site.[6][7][8] This novel idea allowed for lower cost and more reliable satellites which were able to be fully tested as a whole before launch.[9] The Spectrum Astro plant, located in Gilbert, Arizona, had especially wide hallways and internal bay doors to rooms which allowed for satellites to be easily transported within the building for various stages of design, assembly, and testing.[10][11]

Spectrum Astro was founded by W. David Thompson in 1988, with $5,000 in cash and a credit card,[12][13] and finished its first year in operation with $27,000 in revenue. In 2004, the company was sold to General Dynamics.[14]


  1. ^ "Programs and Products"
  2. ^ Njoku, E.; Wilson, W.; Yueh, S.; Freeland, R.; Helms, R.; Edelstein, W.; Sadowy, G.; Farra, D.; West, R.; Oxnevad, K. (September 2001). "Spaceborne Microwave Instrument for High Resolution Remote Sensing of the Earth's Surface Using a Large-Aperature Mesh Antenna" (PDF). ntrs.nasa.gov. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  3. ^ "Spectrum Astro Built Coriolis Spacecraft Moves to Launch Pad". spaceref.com. December 4, 2002. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  4. ^ "SPECTRUM ASTRO, INC. | SBIR.gov". sbir.gov. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  5. ^ "Spectrum Astro → General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems → Orbital Sciences Corp. → Orbital ATK: SA-200HP → LEOStar-3". space.skyrocket.de. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  6. ^ "Construction Underway on Spectrum Astro's 'Factory of the Future'". buildings.com. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  7. ^ "gilbert spectrum - Gilbert Arizona Economic Development" (PDF). gilbertedi.com. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  8. ^ "Development of an Ion Thruster and Power Processor for New Millennium's Deep Space 1 Mission" (PDF). ntrs.nasa.gov. December 1997. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  9. ^ "Spectrum Astro's new Gilbert facility is operational". bizjournals.com. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  10. ^ "Spectrum Astro opens 'factory of the future' amid uncertain outlook". bizjournals.com. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  11. ^ "Spacecraft Erasable Disk Mass Memory (EDMM)". digitalcommons.usu.edu. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  12. ^ "General Dynamics Plans to buy Spectrum Astro | East Valley Tribune". eastvalleytribune.com. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  13. ^ "Spectrum Astro Archives | Space News". spacenews.com. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  14. ^ "General Dynamics finishes buy of Spectrum Astro". washingtontechnology.com. Retrieved November 9, 2019.