PALM BAY, Fla. — L3Harris Technologies has completed a $100 million expansion of its satellite integration and test facility in Palm Bay, adding 94,000 square feet to support the development of missile-detection satellites.
The project, finished Aug. 21, is tied to the U.S. Department of Defense’s proposed Golden Dome for America initiative — a multilayered missile defense system targeted for completion by 2028. The expansion is expected to create 100 high-wage jobs with an average salary of $100,000.
The Palm Bay site will play a central role in L3Harris’s portfolio of space-based defense technologies, which already includes five satellites in orbit and 34 more in development for hypersonic missile tracking. Company officials say the investment underscores L3Harris’s efforts to accelerate production of proven hardware to strengthen U.S. missile warning and defense capabilities.
Nationwide, the Melbourne-based aerospace and defense company (NYSE: LHX) has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into expanding more than 900,000 square feet of advanced manufacturing space to support precision fire-control sensing, missile defense systems, and related technologies.
The Golden Dome initiative, first advanced under President Donald Trump, is projected to cost $175 billion, according to Reuters. While many program details remain in development, L3Harris CEO Christopher E. Kubasik said the new Palm Bay facility reflects the company’s commitment to advancing agile, space-based technologies that enhance national security while also boosting domestic manufacturing.
L3Harris is the third-largest employer in Brevard County, with more than 7,500 local employees and 9,000 statewide. Nationally, the company employs over 47,000 people and reported $21.33 billion in annual revenue and $1.5 billion in net income as of Sept. 30, 2024, making it the region’s largest publicly traded company and its second-largest manufacturer.
The expansion adds to a wave of growth across Brevard County’s defense and aerospace sectors. Industrial gas supplier Linde, for example, is expanding its Mims facility to supply liquid oxygen and nitrogen for rocket launches, with additional capacity expected by early 2027.
Palm Bay Mayor Rob Medina welcomed L3Harris’s investment, praising both its national defense role and local economic benefits. “We’re proud that Palm Bay is helping lead the way in supporting our nation’s readiness and innovation,” Medina said.
