Northrop Grumman Corp. has opened its Maryland Space Assembly & Test 2 facility at its Linthicum campus. The 55,000-square-foot facility provides a digitally integrated manufacturing, assembly and test hub to support customer needs and the company’s growing space payload and ground systems capabilities.

MSAT2 adds a progressive assembly line and unique testing capabilities to the integrated Maryland Space Assembly and Test complex. A central feature is a state-of-the-art thermal vacuum chamber.

The TVAC simulates the harsh thermal conditions of space, allowing engineers to subject space payloads to extreme temperature variations and ensure uninterrupted performance. The facility also includes advanced, digitally driven robotic manufacturing with environmentally controlled 10K and 100K class clean rooms.

“Our continued investment in Maryland helps meet our customer needs while strengthening our commitments to this community and our workforce,” said Scott Lee, vice president and general manager, payload and ground systems, Northrop Grumman. “The new digitally integrated MSAT2 grows our advanced manufacturing, assembly and test capabilities as we continue to deliver end-to-end space solutions with speed and agility.”