Redmond, WA sees growing role in new ‘space race’
Redmond emerging as 'space district' with satellite, aerospace companies
As excitement builds around a return to the Moon, leaders in one Eastside city say their community is playing a role and embracing a new identity as a growing hub for space innovation.
REDMOND, Wash. - As excitement builds around a return to the moon, leaders in Redmond, Washington say their community is playing a role and embracing a new identity as a growing hub for space innovation.
Redmond Mayor Angela Birney said she isn’t sure who first coined the term "space district" to describe the city, but she believes it certainly fits.
Right now, just shy of a dozen companies have landed in Redmond — among them, SpaceX, Project Leo, Honeywell Aerospace and Starcloud. Some are tucked into unassuming office parks near the golf course, while others are setting up shop inside Redmond Town Center.
A growing concentration of space companies
Big picture view:
Birney said while Redmond has long been known for major tech companies like Microsoft and Amazon, its role in the space sector has been less visible until recently.
"We have some pretty significant companies that have been here for a long time and have been doing work out in space, and it wasn’t as obvious," said Birney.
As more companies moved in and the industry expanded, Birney said the scale of activity became clearer.
"It became obvious that we were really a center of the universe, so to speak," she said.
According to Birney, across the broader region, about 13,000 employees now work in the space sector. In Redmond, companies are focused on a range of projects, including low-orbit satellites and emerging technologies.
"We have a company that’s working on data centers in space," said Birney.
Longstanding aerospace roots
Local perspective:
Birney pointed to L3Harris Technologies as a key example of the city’s longstanding connection to space. She says they made the thrusters that will take Artemis II out to space and back.
The company’s history in the region stretches back decades.
"They have also worked on rockets that have taken the Apollo mission to space," said Birney. "So that company has been in Redmond since the sixties."
She said companies like L3Harris helped pave the way for the city’s expanding role in the space industry.
"Not just aerospace like Boeing, but let’s think beyond our atmosphere and into space," said Birney.
From tech hub to space ecosystem
Birney described Redmond’s growth in the space sector as a natural evolution building on decades of innovation in aviation and technology.
She said the same environment that attracted software engineers is now drawing aerospace engineers and scientists.
"It’s also truly rocket scientists that come and set up shop here," she said. "I think that that opportunity to be around a lot of innovative, smart people creates that kind of ecosystem that allows for small businesses to start up."
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The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter Lauren Donovan.