Meet The Innovators Reshaping Aerospace In Washington

The Pacific Northwest is a hub for new technology investment and talent in the aerospace industry. It may have all started with Boeing a long time ago. The Boeing Company was one of the three lead contractors on the Saturn 5 Heavy lift rocket first flown in 1967. 

I remember it well because my dad was an aerospace engineer at Boeing at the time and worked on the Saturn 5 rocket main engine system. 

Many years later, other major companies started to be attracted to the Northwest like Amazon and Blue Origin. Currently, over 114,000 people in Washington state work in the aerospace industry; there are new players in the Northwest, and the infrastructure is there to help them.  

According to Geekwire.com,
‘The region is a humming ecosystem of space innovation, where people earn their degrees, hone their skills at legacy aerospace companies, and spin off to launch their own startups all under the same PNW sun (er—clouds.) For every experienced manufacturer or engineer that leaves a legacy company to start their own firm, there’s a wide network of clients, partners, supply chain relationships, and testing facilities all within their own backyard.’
 

Washington State. is a mecca for high tech industries like aerospace with Boeing, general dynamics, Blue Origin, SpaceX, ATS, Astronics, Korry, Crane Aerospace and Electronics, Aerojet Rocketdyne, BlackSky and my personal favorite Stoke Space. 

Stoke Space has based their manufacturing, design and research facility in Kent, WA. and their rocket proving ground in Moses Lake. Their major mission, like SpaceX, is creating a reusable rocket booster system that lowers the cost of going into space. But Stoke is taking a slightly different. Path on reentry and landing. 

Over the last few years, venture capital has been taking notice since investing money in the aerospace industry in Washington state. With companies like Bellevue based Fuse. investing in early-stage Technology companies. 

And don't forget software companies. There are software only startup companies that are focusing on aerospace as well. 

If you want to find out how really big the aerospace industry is in the Northwest. Find out more about Seattle Space Week.  

You're too late for this year, but next year is not that far off. 

From Earth to Orbit: How Venture Capital is Powering Seattle’s Space Economy – GeekWire
Aerospace
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