{"id":17416,"date":"2022-02-22T23:53:03","date_gmt":"2022-02-22T15:53:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/washington-states-space-industry-doubles-its-economic-impact-in-just-four-years\/"},"modified":"2022-02-22T23:53:03","modified_gmt":"2022-02-22T15:53:03","slug":"washington-states-space-industry-doubles-its-economic-impact-in-just-four-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/washington-states-space-industry-doubles-its-economic-impact-in-just-four-years\/","title":{"rendered":"Washington state\u2019s space industry doubles its economic impact in just four years"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"LeoStella
Technicians work on satellite components at LeoStella\u2019s facility in Tukwila, Wash. (GeekWire Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A newly published report says that the economic impact of Washington state\u2019s space industry has more than doubled in just four years \u2014 and lays out strategies for keeping the growth curve climbing.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpace is indeed the new frontier,\u201d said Axel Strakeljahn, who\u2019s president of the Port of Bremerton\u2019s Board of Commissioners as well as chair of the Central Puget Sound Economic Development District Board.<\/p>\n

The report, released today by the Puget Sound Regional Council and the Washington State Space Coalition, estimates the overall economic impact of the region\u2019s core space economy at $4.6 billion annually, supporting a little more than 13,000 jobs.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a significant jump over the figures laid out in the first assessment of the state\u2019s space economy, published in 2018. Back then, the economic impact was pegged at $1.8 billion, with a labor force estimated at 6,200 employees.<\/p>\n

The growth of Jeff Bezos\u2019 Blue Origin space venture is a big factor behind that upward curve: Four years ago, the Kent, Wash.-based company had a workforce of more than 1,500 employees \u2014 but the updated report uses a figure of 3,000, and the employment level is said to be even higher now.<\/p>\n

Blue Origin isn\u2019t the only contributor to the Seattle area\u2019s space boom. The report also notes the rise of smaller companies \u2014 including Stoke Space and Starfish Space, startups that were founded by Blue Origin veterans in Kent; LeoStella, which is building satellites in Tukwila; Wave Motion Launch Corp., which is working on an unorthodox jet-gun launch system in Everett; and Radian Aerospace, which is pursuing plans for a reusable space plane at facilities in Renton and Bremerton.<\/p>\n

Amazon\u2019s Project Kuiper and SpaceX\u2019s Starlink \u2014 two high-profile efforts to build satellite constellations for global broadband internet access, both based in Redmond \u2014 come in for a mention as well. The report estimates Project Kuiper\u2019s workforce at 800 employees, and Starlink\u2019s workforce at 900.<\/p>\n

In addition to the direct contributions made by Washington state\u2019s space companies, the report factors in the space economy\u2019s indirect contributions (for example, purchases of supplies and equipment) and induced contributions (for example, restaurant meals and housing expeditures). The impacts of those multiplier effects are estimated at $1.6 billion annually.<\/p>\n

Brian Rider, chief technology officer at LeoStella, said the backers of his company looked at a variety of locations around the country before deciding to put their satellite venture in Tukwila \u2014 and he pointed to one factor that tipped the decision in Washington state\u2019s favor.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did it because of the talent,\u201d Rider said during today\u2019s official rollout of the report at Seattle\u2019s Museum of Flight.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s consistent with the report\u2019s emphasis on the region\u2019s skilled engineering workforce, which is a legacy of Boeing\u2019s century-long influence. The report also pointed to significant investment in space ventures by the likes of Bezos and the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who founded Stratolaunch in 2011.<\/p>\n

Rider struck a cautionary note, saying that all those historical legacies may not be \u201cquite enough for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t stop here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The authors of the report laid out five strategies for fostering Washington state\u2019s space economy:<\/p>\n