Contrary to circulating rumors, Boeing has firmly denied plans to withdraw from the space sector. Michelle Parker, vice president of Boeing Space Mission Systems, stated at the Satellite 2025 conference, “I know there’s been some discussion about that, but it is core to the business that I run, the satellite and associated ground work. We are investing heavily in this area. We’re looking forward to delivering capabilities to the customer this year, next year and well beyond that.”
This reassurance follows an October Wall Street Journal report suggesting Boeing was exploring the sale of its space division responsible for the CST-100 Starliner. Parker underscored the robust demand for Boeing Space Mission Systems' offerings, encompassing both commercial and government satellites, along with the X-37B military spaceplane. Her division, headquartered in El Segundo, California, oversees Spectrolab (a solar panel manufacturer) and Millennium Space Systems (a small satellite contractor).
Millennium Space Systems, following a $414 million U.S. Space Force contract for eight satellites in the Foo Fighter program, is expanding its manufacturing capacity. “We’ll double that capacity as orders continue to come in,” Parker confirmed. Further projects include delivering five additional O3b mPower communications satellites for SES, a 12th Wideband Global Satcom geostationary satellite under a $439.6 million contract, and six satellites for ballistic/hypersonic missile detection and tracking ($386 million Space Force contract).
Spectrolab is concurrently scaling up its solar cell production to meet the rising demand fueled by the satellite construction boom. “With all the satellites being built comes the demand for more solar cells,” Parker explained. “We’re looking to increase Spectrolab’s capacity and then drive the price point down with automation.”
While Boeing reported a $11.8 billion loss in 2024, with over $500 million attributable to the Starliner program, Parker highlighted the success of Boeing Space Mission Systems’ two-year strategic plan focused on production increases across its broad portfolio, from small to large satellites. “We’re seeing the fruits of those labors,” she concluded. It is important to note that Starliner and the Space Launch System fall under a separate Boeing division (Boeing Defense Space & Security), not Boeing Space Mission Systems.