Next Private Space Industry Conference, NewSpace, to Land in Seattle in 2016
Silicon Valley, California (PRWEB) July 17, 2015 -- The Space Frontier Foundation, the Washington State Space Coalition and the Washington State Department of Commerce, announced today that the annual NewSpace conference, previously held in Silicon Valley for the past nine years, will move to Seattle, Wash. in 2016 for the first time since its inception in 2006. Going forward, the conference will alternate between Silicon Valley and Seattle. Specific dates and details of the 2016 conference, including its founding sponsors in the Seattle area, will be announced in the coming months.
“From the early days of the space age, companies like Boeing and Rocket Research have played an important role in the development of space vehicles and systems here in Washington state,” said Washington Governor, Jay Inslee. “Rocket Research, now Aerojet Rocketdyne, along with innovative companies like Blue Origin, Planetary Resources, SpaceFlight Industries and dozens of others are benefiting from Washington’s unique blend of aerospace know-how and computer science brain power to catalyze an exciting cluster of space industry innovation in the state.”
The aerospace industry as a whole supported $85.7 billion in economic activity in Washington state in 2014. Its more than 1,350 aerospace and related companies support a workforce of 132,500 and paid wages totaling $13.2 billion. In January, SpaceX announced the opening of a new office in Redmond, Wash., where it will develop satellites and may one day employ as many as a thousand people.
“The Space Frontier Foundation is thrilled to initiate this new partnership with Washington State, a long-time incubator of aerospace innovation that will benefit the growth of the industry as a whole,” said Jeff Feige, chairman of the Board of the Space Frontier Foundation.
“The Seattle region is gaining momentum as a bona fide hub of space innovation,” said Jason Andrews, founder and CEO of Spaceflight, a next-generation, integrated space services and solutions company as well as the imaging startup BlackSky Global. “We are excited to partner with the Space Frontier Foundation in raising awareness of the Washington state space cluster by bringing NewSpace to Seattle in 2016.”
About NewSpace 2015
new ● space \nöö – späs\ noun: a movement and philosophy often affiliated with the emergent private spaceflight industry.
Organized by the Space Frontier Foundation since 2006, the annual NewSpace conference is the only event that brings a unique mix of revolutionary space entrepreneurs, investors, scientists, engineers, regulators and space policy leaders together to explore the opportunities and challenges of opening the space frontier to human settlement. Facilitating the necessary cross-disciplinary collaboration is how the private space industry will grow and create a sustainable space economy, which in turn fuels innovation in areas from healthcare to construction. For more information visit http://newspace.spacefrontier.org.
About the Washington State Space Coalition
Convened under the auspices of the Washington Aerospace Partnership in 2012, the Washington State Space Coalition is a consortium of companies engaged in the exploration and utilization of space. The mission of the Coalition is to “build upon the state’s century-old legacy of aerospace innovation and excellence by creating a community in which the companies and other entities located in Washington that are engaged in the exploration of space can thrive.” Visit http://www.washington-aerospace.com for more information.
About the Washington State Department of Commerce
Commerce is the lead state agency charged with enhancing and promoting sustainable community and economic vitality in Washington. For more information, visit http://www.commerce.wa.gov. For information on locating or expanding a business in Washington, visit http://www.choosewashington.com.
About the Space Frontier Foundation
Founded in 1988 by Jim Muncy, Rick Tumlinson and Bob Werb, the Space Frontier Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to opening the space frontier to human settlement as rapidly as possible by unleashing the power of free enterprise. Our goals include protecting the Earth’s fragile biosphere and creating a more prosperous life for each generation by using the unlimited energy and material resources of space. The Foundation is composed of a diverse, multinational array of space activists, expert scientists and engineers, media and political professionals, entrepreneurs, and passionate citizens. You too can be a part of the Space Frontier Foundation. For more information visit http://www.spacefrontier.org.
Alexandra Abrams, Space Frontier Foundation, https://spacefrontier.org/, +1 9259180081, [email protected]
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