WASHINGTON — The Aerospace Corp. announced July 22 it is investing nearly $100 million in a research and development facility in Colorado Springs, Colorado, that will focus on classified space technology.

The company said construction of the 90,000 square-foot facility starts this month with a targeted opening in spring 2022.

Aerospace, a federally funded nonprofit corporation, is based in El Segundo, California. It already has a facility at the Colorado Springs Airport Business Park. The second building will be adjacent to the existing location. Aerospace plans to hire about 200 engineers and technical experts for the new facility.

The new technology center is being built to “meet the growing requirements of U.S. Space Command, the U.S. Space Force and other customers,” the company said in a news release.

Aerospace provides technical and consulting support to the U.S. Air Force, Space Force and other organizations.

The company said the new facility will be majority classified working spaces, with a dedicated area to support wargaming and large meetings with industry and government officials.

Sandra Erwin writes about military space programs, policy, technology and the industry that supports this sector. She has covered the military, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry for nearly two decades as editor of NDIA’s National Defense...