Theia Group Inc. is moving forward with its plans for Albuquerque, which include the massive Orion Center development near the Albuquerque International Sunport.
The proposed Orion Center would function as a satellite assembly and testing facility for Theia Group, which plans to launch a network of satellites that would be used to surveil the planet. The technology could be used to provide information to first responders and security, according to Theia Group. The first deployment of the network consists of 112 satellites that capture radar remote sensing imagery and data, Business First reported. The Orion Center would be operated by Theia Group subsidiary Group Orion.
There are some steps that still need to be taken before the Orion Center is finalized. But Theia Group is already hiring for open tech positions in Albuquerque. The openings include a spacecraft systems engineer and software operations lead, according to openings that appeared on job boards within the past month.
Theia Group, through the Orion Center, plans to grow a sizable workforce here. Project plans for the Orion Center call for 1,000 jobs, Theia Group Vice President James Reid Gorman previously told Business First, and "one of the largest construction projects in the United States."
The proposed location of the Orion Center is the city's Aviation Center of Excellence, a site that sits adjacent to the Sunport, according to a November release from the city. The project is estimated to cost $8 billion to $10 billion to construct throughout the next decade, according to a research report from Colliers International, a commercial real estate firm with a presence in New Mexico. The development would have more than 4 million square feet of space, according to the city.
This month, Group Orion filed for a commercial building permit at the proposed site of the development, seeking approval for "foundation and underground tunnels" as part of a 213,000 square foot facility on Girard Blvd. SE. The application for the permit, which has yet to be issued, was submitted March 3, according to the city's register of building and other types of permits.
Still, there are steps that need to be taken before the Orion Center can be considered a done deal. They include the finalization of a lease with the city, as well as receiving clearance from the city's Development Review Board, which heard the project earlier this month. Theia Group previously signed a letter of intent to lease the Aviation Center of Excellence.
Plans for the Orion Center could take years to come to fruition. Some phases of construction for the Orion Center could be complete by 2023, according to the city, the same year during which satellite launches are reportedly intended to begin. The city's effort to land the development intensified in March of last year, when city of Albuquerque Chief Operations Officer Lawrence Rael and Director of Aviation Nyika Allen took a trip to Washington, D.C., to meet with the executive board of Theia Group.
“The Orion Center has the potential to be a game-changing partnership for our city’s aerospace and tech sector,” said Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller in a November statement. "This development could be a massive job creator for our city, providing a boost to our economy and securing our role in the booming space industry.”
