Northwest Aerospace News PNAA 2021 ADVANCE | Page 138

INNOVATIVE AEROSPACE SEGMENTS FUELING THE FUTURE

ROBIN TOTH Governor ’ s Sector Lead and Director of Aerospace Washington State Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness
The second century of Washington ’ s excellence in aerospace may look quite different than the first 100 years . As a global leader in aerospace production , our state is celebrated for extreme proficiency and knowledge in building commercial and defense aircraft . This expertise has naturally translated to other subsectors of the industry , including spacecraft , satellites , and unmanned and autonomous systems . Spacecraft have been produced in Washington nearly as long as aircraft . A recent analysis of the statewide space industry showed a significant impact of $ 1.8 billion in economic activity , driven by 6,200 jobs providing approximately $ 610 million in payroll . The space economy contributes more than $ 62 million annually in state and local tax revenues .
Launched in 1964 , Boeing Defense , Space and Security developed and produced the lunar rovers and upper-stage rockets for space exploration . The company is currently investing in new developments that include advanced space and communications systems , deep-space exploration vehicles , digital payloads and all-electric propulsion .
Aerojet Rocketdyne has produced rockets and thrusters for every U . S . planetary and interplanetary space mission since 1968 , including Voyager , Viking and Curiosity . Even after months or years of dormancy , the company ’ s 20,000 + propulsion units have never failed on a mission . Today , the company is exploring new concepts that use electric propulsion powered by solar arrays and nuclear thermal propulsion that could be twice as efficient as the oxygen / hydrogen thrusters in use today .
The ongoing commercialization of space has changed our economic landscape dramatically . Spacecraft and satellites now cost less to build and put into space . Lower costs have spurred new applications for space and allowed a broad range of companies , organizations and governments to access space-related services such as positioning , telecommunications and Earth observation . This expansion of “ NewSpace ” or “ Space 2.0 ” has also broadened competition in areas traditionally reserved for governments and multinational corporations .
Companies include Blue Origin , a private spaceflight services , orbital spacecraft and launch vehicle manufacturing company founded in 2000 . Their team has positioned itself at the forefront of the NewSpace field , developing the BE-3 engine and New Shepard suborbital rocket , the BE-4 engine for United Launch Alliance ’ s Vulcan rocket , while also investing in the creation of the New Glenn orbital launch vehicle .
SpaceX is expected to be a major service provider within the next few years , with the Starlink satellite constellation network anticipated to provide affordable , satellite-based broadband internet access by 2021 . In Washington , Starlink has already been used to reconnect rural communities that lost their communications networks in wildfires , providing critical support for emergency responders and residents .
And there are more than 100 other companies within our space supply chain , many that provide components , products and supplies to the aircraft industry as well . From the education perspective , we are also home to
138 NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS
PNAA ADVANCE / 2021