RTX’s Blue Canyon Technologies is quadrupling its annual reaction wheel production from 650 to 2,400 units, investing over $1 million to meet surging small satellite subsystem demand. The expansion, announced April 14, 2026, from Boulder, Colorado, doubles the production footprint by dedicating most of one facility to reaction wheels.
Reaction wheels provide motor-driven torque for precise spacecraft attitude control on orbit without propulsion. This nearly 400% capacity increase addresses critical space industry supply chain pressures amid rapid smallsat growth.
Efficiency gains stem from optimized production layouts, enhanced subassembly kitting for faster assembly, and new equipment including an additional precision mill and next-generation balancing tools. These upgrades boost throughput and testing while maintaining reliability.
Long-term supplier agreements ensure material stability, mitigating risks in volatile chains. Since 2014, Blue Canyon has delivered 3,500 flight reaction wheels, supporting over 160 spacecraft orders.
The move strengthens RTX’s Raytheon position in the new space economy, enabling more missions with reliable, affordable components essential for operational scale.