Space summit hypes Washington's out-of-this-world industry

Washington's leaders in the space economy gathered in Kent Wednesday to promote the state's place in the industry of the future. The Washington State Space Summit was also an opportunity for Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell to hype the region's companies to NASA.

"We're here today to discuss how our state and our country stays ahead in space," Cantwell said at the event, held at Blue Origin's headquarters in Kent. "...many companies in the state of Washington are providing growth and opportunity for space jobs. It is providing a booming economy, and it has helped maintain America's position in leadership of space exploration."

Cantwell cited a 2022 report showing that Washington's fast-growing space industry "had more than doubled in four years to $4.6 billion and had 13,000 jobs."

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That 2022 report from the Puget Sound Regional Council not only found that Washington's space industry generated $4.6 billion in local economic activity in 2021, it contributed $1.6 billion in labor income, and that for every job in the field, 1.26 jobs are created across the region's economy.

Most of the state's workforce in this field is employed by Amazon, Blue Origin, and SpaceX, though the report notes that there are various smaller, local businesses providing support and research. Products range from launch vehicles to satellite manufacturing and related services. "Significant amounts of office, industrial, flex, and warehouse space are now being taken up in the region to support these activities," the report states.

The Washington State Space Summit gathered 20 regional companies and schools at Blue Origin Wednesday, along with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. It's Cantwell latest effort to engage the space economy, which she views as a growth industry (she has previously pushed legislation to support the removal of space junk in orbit around the Earth).

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“NASA’s work with Washington commercial space companies and academic institutions demonstrates the power of investing in America," Nelson said in a statement. "NASA partnerships in the state are creating good-paying American jobs and fueling groundbreaking research and technology...With the help of Washingtonians, NASA will make new and more exciting discoveries while also inspiring the Artemis Generation — the next generation of scientists, engineers, technicians, and explorers.”

Artemis is NASA's current effort to return to the moon. It is viewed as the first step toward trips to Mars. There are 42 Washington companies with contracts connected to Artemis, according to Cantwell's office. Two local companies (Blue Origin and Aerojet Rocketdyne) are contracted to help with the Gateway program — a space station slated to be in orbit around the moon.

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While she promoted the region, Cantwell's office also admits there are challenges facing the state. Washington could fall short by about 60,000 workers in this STEM field by 2026 (nationally, there is a need for three million workers).

"Today's jobs into tomorrow's future jobs are going to depend on the manufacturing sector assembled here today," Cantwell said at the event. "And that is why I encouraged the Department of Commerce and NASA to create a new Manufacturing Institute here in the Pacific Northwest. I was happy to hear the NASA administrator say in May that he’s been working on that recommendation and that he has been working with the executive branch on that concept, and to make sure that we stay competitive in the next generation thermoplastics high-rate composites."