UK’s Olsen Actuators Targets US Market with New Cape Canaveral Office

UK-based Olsen Actuators has announced plans to expand into the North American space technology market. To meet rapidly growing demand and be closer to potential customers, the company will establish a representative office at Cape Canaveral. Olsen Actuators manufactures electromechanical components for spacecraft and is looking to carve out a niche in the U.S. market, which has grown rapidly in recent years.

Olsen Actuators Opens America

The Florida office is scheduled to open in 2026. The move is designed to accelerate the UK company’s entry into the US space market, which was valued at $262 billion in 2024 and is expected to double by 2034 at a compound annual growth rate of 7.48%, according to Precedence Research.

The decision follows a UK government space trade mission to the region earlier in February 2025.

The office will initially function as a sales and business development centre to better support current partners and attract new customers in the commercial and government sectors.

Olsen Actuators expects to expand its U.S. office operations gradually in the future. The next stage should be to assemble prototypes and then roll out full-scale production.

Piers Olsen, chairman of Olsen Actuators & Drives, said: “The advent of NewSpace has increased demand for electromechanical actuators and other devices. We see a need for a local presence in the U.S., and a sales office on the Cape will allow us to strengthen the relationships we have established and forge new ones. The upcoming manufacturing facility will also ensure rapid delivery of our solutions, which will help us better serve the dynamic and fast-paced U.S. space market.”

UK Space Component Manufacturer: What Do We Know About Olsen Actuators?

Olsen Actuators & Drives was founded in 2004, employs 25 people and has been dynamically growing its presence in the space sector over the last few years.

The company specialises in commercial off-the-shelf components, which are reliable, efficient, and already space-certified electromechanical actuators.

As part of its business expansion strategy, Olsen Actuators recently acquired part of the French company ALT Roller Screws. With this purchase, the company has expanded its product portfolio also to include precision ground roller screws.

Olsen Actuators has already supplied their products to NASA as part of the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission, launched in 2024 to track ocean and atmospheric aerosols from orbit.

Cape Canaveral: The Heart of the U.S. Space Sector

Olsen Actuators and Drives are not pioneering the U.S. space coast in Florida.

Previously, British startup Space Forge opened an office next to NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre.

The increased interest of British space companies in this area of Florida is not accidental. Cape Canaveral and other areas of the Space Coast are a global hotspot for space activity.

“Being here puts us at arm’s length from potential customers and partners. It’s where deals are made, technology is tested, and rockets fly almost every week,” Olsen said.

A particular advantage of Florida’s Space Coast is its strategic location near the equator, which makes rocket launches more economical. This geographic location allows rockets to use the Earth’s rotational speed better, reducing the fuel needed to reach orbit.

In addition, the region has a first-class infrastructure with a long history of supporting major space programs, including world-class spaceports such as the Kennedy Space Centre and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Over 640 aerospace establishments and a 41,800+ workforce support manufacturing, R&D, and MRO (maintenance, repair, overhaul) sectors.

Since 2010, 22 aerospace projects have been in the area, creating over 6,000 jobs and $2 billion in capital investment.