A Turbo Boost for Space

The space industry is undergoing a major transformation. More and more satellites are being launched into orbit: by 2030, the number is expected to rise to at least 30,000. To support this surge, rocket manufacturers need to produce high volumes quickly. This requires strong partners like Beyond Gravity. The international aerospace company is a market leader in manufacturing essential satellite and rocket components such as interstage adapters and payload fairings. The interstage adapter connects the two – sometimes three – stages of a rocket, while the payload fairing forms the rocket’s nose cone, which provides critical thermal, aerodynamic, and acoustic protection. Once the rocket clears the Earth’s atmosphere, the fairing opens and releases the satellite into space. As the sole supplier, Beyond Gravity provides the payload fairings and interstage adapters for the heavy-lift rocket Vulcan Centaur from U.S. manufacturer United Launch Alliance. The key challenge: restructuring production so that output can be scaled from just a few units per year to two units per month.

When a rocket launches, everything must work perfectly. Every component has to fit together like gears in a machine to ensure a smooth liftoff. Unlike industries such as automotive, the launcher industry cannot test the full system but only the individual components. Precision and excellent quality are crucial at every stage. To meet these high standards while significantly increasing output, Beyond Gravity needed to rethink its launcher components production system at its Decatur site in Alabama. With support from Porsche Consulting, the company implemented a takt-based flow production system. This created transparency across workflows and station progress, while newly structured processes now ensure that issues can be identified and resolved early. Optimized logistics processes and a revamped consumables strategy further increase efficiency, secure material and parts availability, and help reduce costs.

With investments into additional facilities, a ramp-up of operations headcount, and everything operating under the new production system, the U.S. site in Decatur, Alabama, is now able to scale output to achieve the ambitious target of two shipsets per month. Expressed in the number of rockets, this represents a production increase of 3.6 to 5.5 times that of before. The newly developed consumables concept also helps reduce inventory by 50 percent, lowering associated costs by more than one million U.S. dollars. This performance boost is driven not only by operational changes but also by a noticeable cultural shift within the company’s production organization. For Beyond Gravity USA, this project marks the entry into series production – and strengthens its position as a market leader in rocket component supply.