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Propulsion & Power

L3Harris expands rocket engine manufacturing with $100m-plus investment

By SpaceEnergy 09 October 2026 1 min read

(SpaceEnergy) US aerospace and defence company L3Harris Technologies is investing more than $100m to expand liquid rocket propulsion manufacturing in California, including capacity supporting NASA's RS-25 engines.

The company disclosed the investment on 8 October, saying it launched the expansion of its Canoga Park facility in Los Angeles during summer 2026.

The project will add almost 35,000sq ft of manufacturing and assembly space, representing the site's largest expansion in more than a decade.

The investment supports several propulsion programmes, including the RS-25 liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen engines used on NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.

L3Harris said the expansion would also increase manufacturing capabilities for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile system and the Next Generation Interceptor programme.

The Canoga Park facility has manufactured liquid propulsion systems for more than 70 years and supplies propulsion technology for both space and defence applications.

The expansion includes new manufacturing equipment, additional automation and increased machining capacity.

L3Harris plans to install nine turn-milling machines and two five-axis milling machines, alongside other equipment intended to increase production throughput.

The company said the investment would create opportunities to expand its specialised manufacturing workforce but did not disclose an employment target.

Scott Alexander, president of propulsion systems at L3Harris Missile Solutions, said the California investment reinforced the company's commitment to increasing liquid propulsion production for NASA and US defence customers.

The company has not disclosed the expansion's completion date or the additional annual RS-25 production capacity expected from the investment.

The announcement establishes a specific manufacturing investment supporting space launch propulsion, separate from previously announced contracts to expand missile production.

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