Melagen Labs and Space Rig Systems Announce Partnership to Bring Mobile TVAC Testing to Taylor, Texas Facility
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Press Release
SpaceRig's deployable "TVAC in a Box" unit will be co-located at Melagen's Taylor testing center, delivering thermal vacuum testing capabilities from day one and marking the first partnership in building the environmental testing platform for aerospace in Taylor, Texas.
TAYLOR, TEXAS — April 2026 — Melagen Labs today announced a partnership with Space Rig Systems, an aerospace infrastructure company specializing in deployable space testing solutions, to co-locate SpaceRig's mobile thermal vacuum (TVAC) testing unit at Melagen's forthcoming Testing Center in Taylor, Texas. The partnership makes thermal vacuum testing available at the Taylor facility from day one, accelerating Melagen's mission to build a environmental testing platform for the aerospace and defense industry in Taylor, Texas.
Melagen announced the Taylor facility in April 2026 as part of a $4.5 million Economic Development Performance Agreement with the Taylor Economic Development Corporation — one of the most significant additions to U.S. radiation testing infrastructure in years. Co-60 TID radiation testing operations are targeted to begin in 2027. The SpaceRig partnership expands the facility's capabilities beyond radiation, giving customers immediate access to thermal vacuum qualification campaigns in the same location.
Introducing Space Rig Systems
Space Rig Systems is a New York-based aerospace infrastructure company, founded in 2022, with a development center in Seattle. The company develops, builds, and operates responsive infrastructure for space mobility, which enables rapid access to space hardware testing for manufacturers, developers, and mission operators across the U.S. and Canada.
SpaceRig's team brings deep aerospace pedigree. CEO and Founder Ian Fichtenbaum previously led Bradford Space as CEO. The broader team includes veterans from SpaceX, NASA Glenn, Aerojet Rocketdyne, and CSA's David Florida Laboratory. SpaceRig's first system has already completed test campaigns with Rocket Lab, Qeynet, and Reliasat.
The Mobile TVAC
SpaceRig's core offering is a mobile thermal vacuum testing system and clean workspace delivered within a standard 20-foot ISO shipping container, transportable anywhere in the U.S. or Canada. The system is designed for manufacturers and developers that need qualification campaigns on rapid timelines without the capital expenditure of owning a TVAC chamber. The unit accommodates small satellites up to ESPA-class, subsystems, and space components, and supports vacuum performance below 5E-5 Torr, a temperature range of +120°C to -160°C, and a cleanroom environment.
The Upcoming Partnership
SpaceRig will establish the Taylor, Texas facility as the permanent home base for their mobile TVAC unit. For customers, this means thermal vacuum testing will be available on-site in Taylor, Texas. In the future, when the radiation testing capabilities are fully operation, environment qualification testing can happen in the same facility without the delays, logistics overhead, or added cost of traveling to a separate test site.
This co-location of SpaceRig’s mobile TVAC unit is the first partnership in Melagen and Taylor, Texas’ roadmap to build a commercial aerospace hub that powers the future of the aerospace industry.
Quotes from Leadership
"The Taylor facility is our anchor for building our aerospace testing platform. Partnering with SpaceRig to co-locate their TVAC unit means our customers can move from radiation shielding to radiation testing to environmental qualification in one facility, allowing for maximum effectiveness and efficiencies for our customers."
— Muhammad Hunain, Founder & CEO, Melagen Labs Corp.
“Changing the way space builders can access critical infrastructure what excites SpaceRig the most. To be able to bring our mobile, modular thermal vacuum testing services to Taylor and pair it with Melagen’s radiation services is 1 + 1 = 11. Looking forward to building above and beyond together!”
— Ian Fichtenbaum, CEO & Founder, Space Rig Systems
Get Early Access — Pre-Book Your Testing Hours Now
The Taylor testing facility waitlist is now open. Commercial, defense, and government customers can register for early access and secure founder pricing on both radiation and TVAC test hours ahead of the facility's opening.
Register for early access and pre-book testing hours: melagenlabs.com/testing
About Melagen Labs Corp.
Melagen Labs Corp. is building the world’s first full-stack radiation shielding platform for next-gen space electronics and the orbital infrastructure economy. The company’s flagship offering is MLC1, a proprietary composite that is significantly lighter and more effective than traditional aluminum shielding, enabling commercial off-the-shelf electronics to operate reliably in the space radiation environment. MLC1 is currently being flight-validated aboard the International Space Station. melagenlabs.com
About Space Rig Systems
SpaceRig is building the SpaceRig Transit and Logistics Network to support responsive space, space sovereignty and the CapEx and lead time needs of space builders and operators an era of frequent launch and an active space domain. SpaceRig operates automated and containerized processing systems and services, including its mobile ‘TVAC in a box’ and its TacRS fluid handling systems. spacerig.io
