Lockheed Martin has opened a digital technology center in California for the development of optical payloads for satellites, targeting systems and lasers.

The Optical Payload Center of Excellence brings together various design teams and experts across the world from Lockheed Martin, its industry partners and leading research universities into one collaborative unit.

"The Optical Payload Center of Excellence will benefit from the digital tapestry that links all stages of development, from initial concept and design to production and qualification," said Rick Ambrose, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Space Systems. "We are leading the way, using immersive virtual reality systems and 3-D printing, to simplify manufacturing and assembly processes. This reduces cost and accelerates the delivery of complex "

The center is located at the company's newest research and development facility in Palo Alto in the heart of Silicon Valley.

"Our customers are increasingly turning to optical payloads for their unrivaled precision and power, particularly on satellite systems," Ambrose said. "Considering our 50 years of experience delivering space-qualified optical systems, we deeply understand our customers' missions, needs and requirements."