Tag Archives: space

Farnborough International Airshow

Great to be back in London and the U.K for the Farnborough International Airshow. We had a great delegation of public and private partners including Lieutenant Governor Heck, representatives of the Washington State Department of Commerce, Head of the UK Government Office in Seattle, Alaska Airlines, Boeing, ZeroAvia, and regional economic development partners.

After a welcoming reception at the The Shard and the National History Museum, our team engaged in one-on-one meetings with 15 international aerospace companies where we actively promoted the Greater Seattle region as a leading hub for aerospace, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing, with a strong emphasis on sustainable solutions.

Following Farnborough, a smaller delegation of Washington State representatives ventured to northwest England and Chester to further co-operation on trade, innovation and clean energy. Founded as a Roman fortress in the 1st century A.D., Chester is a charming city that also serves as a nexus to world-class aerospace innovation.

The first day began at Electroimpact, which is an aerospace automation company with an exceptional concentration of engineers working on a wide range of projects include complete automation assembly systems for commercial aircraft wings, riveting machines and tools for wing panel and fuselage assembly, advanced fiber placement machines, robotic assembly systems, and spacecraft handling equipment.

The group proceeded just up the road to Broughton and the Airbus factory where the majority of its commercia aircraft wings are made. Adjacent to Airbus, the group also had the opportunity to tour the Advance Manufacturing Research Center (AMRC) that specializes in carrying out world-leading research into advanced machining, manufacturing and materials for aerospace and other high-value manufacturing sectors.  

The day concluded with a roundtable discussion at HyNet Northwest where the group learned more about the UK’s ambitious plans for industrial decarbonization and hydrogen production.

A special thanks to the head of the UK Government Office in Seattle, Robin Twyman, Lord Mayor Razia Daniels, Cheshire West and Chester Council, and so many others for hosting the delegation. Everyone was exceedingly warm and welcoming. 

IN THE SPACE RACE, GREATER SEATTLE IS A GLOBAL LEADER

The following is an article I wrote for Greater Seattle Partners.

Today, NASA and SpaceX are preparing for an historic space launch that demonstrates the power of public and private partnerships. Two Americans will board the Falcon 9, Crew Dragon commercial spacecraft and visit the International Space Station (ISS) – a feat not done with humans aboard in 9 years. What has led us to this place in time is based on a stunning amount of innovation and collaboration.

We have come a long way in 60+ years. NASA’s foresight and willingness to embrace the commercialization of space is lowering costs and allowing a much broader range of companies to develop spacecraft and satellites. The supply chains are big and complex. An enormous array of products and solutions must be developed before that rocket and capsule get wheeled out to the launch pad.

Market Segments

As listed in the Puget Sound Regional Council report on the “Washington State Space Economy,” those market segments include everything from Spacecraft & Launch Vehicles – Propulsion Systems & Fuels – Navigation & Control – Computer Hardware, Software & Robotics – and much more.

Companies Changing the Landscape

The Greater Seattle region has long been at the forefront of these market segments. Boeing began building the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) at its Kent, Wash., facility in 1969. Aerojet Rocketdyne’s Redmond-based facility produces 200-500 thrusters a year and has long supplied NASA with rocket engines for their most important missions. Other notable space companies that call our region home are:

According to our business data, there are more than 90 space-specific companies here. Connect with us if you would like more customized information.

Why Here?

Well, we of course all know this is a great place to live. But we are also #2 in the nation for aerospace engineers. In case you haven’t heard, Incredible Works Here. Investments in education and workforce training have been crucial:

  • The UW Aerospace Research Consortium (UW-ARC) supports close coordination with industry to provide for collaborative research and education opportunities, and support the commercialization of space technology developed at the university.
  • The Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the University of Washington Seattle provides bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees as well as certificate and continuing education courses, and has been at the forefront of research in aerospace for decades.
  • Centers at Washington State University have coordinated several research projects with NASA in multiple departments, ranging from engineering and chemistry to astrobiology.
  • The Center of Excellence in Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing is located at Everett Community College in Snohomish County, and has coordinated grants for regional and statewide workforce development in areas related to manufacturing and aerospace.
  • The Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee (AJAC) was created in 2008 to provide apprenticeship opportunities in aerospace and advanced manufacturing production.

More information can be found in this report.

Flying in to the Future

There is no doubt that space flight, and competing in space markets, is fraught with risk. But the Greater Seattle region has always risen to the occasion. In fact, our area is emerging as a “Global Hub for the Dawning Satellite Age.” With regional employment in the aerospace industry estimated at 88,000 jobs, and a huge tech community that also gave birth to the world’s two largest cloud computing companies (Amazon + Microsoft), Greater Seattle will continue to be at the forefront of technological advances in the space industry.