Port of Long Beach attracts another space tech tenant

ABL Space Systems will manufacture, store launch vehicles, satellites

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners on Thursday approved an agreement with ABL Space Systems to build a spacecraft processing facility at the Port of Long Beach and use waterfront area for the delivery and shipping of its cargo.

Founded in 2017, El Segundo-based ABL Space Systems will take over 8.06 acres of land and 1.31 acres of submerged land at the Navy Mole on the Port's Pier T, which was formerly part of the Long Beach Naval Station.

“We welcome ABL Space Systems to the Port of Long Beach family. It’s exciting to add yet another tenant in the rapidly growing spacecraft technology industry,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Steven Neal. “We look forward to what we know will be a mutually beneficial relationship with our newest tenant.”

“This is an innovative company, on the cutting edge of private spacecraft technology, offering wider access to space,” said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero. “We’re very pleased to provide this land to ABL Space Systems.”

Thursday’s agreement comes five months after the Port of Long Beach agreed to lease a site to SpaceX, adjacent to what will now become the ABL Space Systems site. SpaceX uses its site as a marine terminal for its West Coast rocket recovery operations.

Included in the five-year lease is a 25,000-square-foot integration and payload processing facility, 20,000-square-foot warehouse space, and a 13,000-square-foot office space. This location, previously occupied by Sea Launch, will be used by ABL for a wide range of operations, including vehicle processing, payload integration, and maritime operations that support the company’s global network of launch facilities.

“This site is highly strategic for our growth,” said Harry O’Hanley, CEO of ABL Space Systems. “Maritime operations are key to scaling our launch capabilities globally. We’ll also re-activate the old Sea Launch payload processing facility to handle spacecraft of almost any size.”

The Port of Long Beach is one of the world’s premier seaports, a gateway for trans-Pacific trade and a trailblazer in goods movement and environmental stewardship. With 175 shipping lines connecting Long Beach to 217 seaports, the Port handles $200 billion in trade annually, supporting more than 575,000 Southern California jobs.