Northwest Aerospace News PNAA 2021 ADVANCE | Page 139

Spacecraft have been produced in Washington nearly as long as aircraft .

the University of Washington Space Policy and Research Center ( SPARC ), organized by the William E . Boeing Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the Jackson School of International Studies . SPARC is an interdisciplinary hub for faculty , researchers , policymakers , organizations and facilities operating at the intersection of technology , science and policy , convening resources and knowledge from across the Northwest to meet the emerging challenges and opportunities of expanding human interest and exploration in space .
Other growth areas include unmanned and autonomous vehicles and systems , which are becoming commonplace as an effective tool across multiple industries . Emergency management services , military and defense applications and even health care are using these types of systems to safely and rapidly deliver , diagnose and defend .
Agriculture is a major pillar of Washington ' s economy and growers are using unmanned systems as a speedy and efficient way to gain information about the health of their crops . Drones can provide immediate feedback on the presence of insects or disease , allowing treatments to occur within hours versus days .
Another promising area of future growth is Urban Air Mobility ( UAM ), which is an aviation industry term for on-demand and automated passenger or cargo-carrying air transportation services , typically flown without a pilot . These services could help reduce traffic congestion in and around cities and , since these vehicles are typically electricpowered , enhance air quality as well .
We believe that investments in these subsectors of aerospace will continue to create good quality jobs , support equity and sustainability across Washington and help attract new sources of capital to fuel our state ’ s next century of leadership in the skies and beyond .
PNAA ADVANCE / 2021
FEBRUARY | MARCH 2021 ISSUE NO . 19 139