Aerospace
Here, innovation and tradition are on the same plane.
Home to the largest aerospace supply chain in the United States
Greater Seattle leads the way in commercial aerospace innovation with a rich ecosystem of companies and talent that has evolved over more than a century of research, development and manufacturing. This pioneering spirit nurtures an environment at the intersection of aerospace and technology unlike anywhere else on Earth.
Strength in Numbers
From Boeing to Blue Origin, our pioneering spirit has revolutionized commercial air travel, space exploration and satellite communications. Aerospace sector is projected to grow 3% in Greater Seattle from 2025-2030.
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GRP (2025)
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Exports over the last 5 years
Jobs
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Space Companies
Leading Aerospace Companies in Greater Seattle
Map of Leading Aerospace Companies in Greater Seattle
To explore the custom aerospace map, click the menu icon in the top left corner to view a list of subcategories. Select any category to see relevant companies on the map and click the markers for more details.
Sustainable Innovation for the Future
From maximizing in-flight efficiency with artificial intelligence to the development of new energy sources for rocket propulsion, Greater Seattle companies are engineering new solutions to tackle the world’s most difficult challenges.
Hydrogen Aviation
AeroTEC and magniX have partnered to establish a Hydrogen Aviation Test and Service Center in Washington State. This initiative positions the region at the forefront of aviation decarbonization efforts.
Alaska Airlines is advancing the largest hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft project by providing a Bombardier Q400 to ZeroAvia. This aircraft, stationed in Everett, WA, will undergo a transformation to incorporate a hydrogen-electric propulsion system, marking a pivotal step towards the adoption of zero-emission flight technology.
Flight Testing
Since its initial flights in 2012, the Boeing ecoDemonstrator program has tested more than 250 technologies to help decarbonize aviation, improve operational efficiency, and enhance safety and the passenger experience. Approximately a third of tested technologies have progressed onto Boeing’s products and services.
Electrified Aviation
The Eviation Alice successfully completed its first flight of its electric aircraft in Washington State. It is a nine-passenger electric aircraft – the only flight proven all-electric commuter aircraft of its size. It is built around MagniX’s industry-leading electric propulsion system, which is also based in Greater Seattle in Arlington, WA.
Emerging Technologies
In Greater Seattle, Boeing is leading the charge in emerging aviation technologies with its “Cascade” Climate Impact Model, a comprehensive tool designed to evaluate the effectiveness of diverse sustainability solutions in reducing aviation’s carbon emissions. This effort is complemented by Alaska Star Ventures, the venture capital arm of Alaska Airlines, which is dedicated to investing in groundbreaking airline technologies. Their commitment is underscored by a goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, showcasing a strong focus on environmental stewardship within the aviation industry.
SAF
Washington leaders launch Cascadia Sustainable Aviation Accelerator to rapidly scale production and adoption of sustainable aviation fuel in the Pacific Northwest. With access to local, low carbon feedstocks, affordable clean energy, established infrastructure and a skilled workforce, the region has all the elements necessary to support production of up to one billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel by 2035.
R&D
Co-led by Washington State University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, ASCENT – the Aviation Sustainability Center – is a cooperative aviation research organization funded by the FAA, NASA, the Department of Defense, Transport Canada, and the Environmental Protection Agency. ASCENT works to create science-based solutions for the aviation industry’s biggest challenges.
In the Space Race, Greater Seattle is a Global Leader
Greater Seattle is one of the nation’s leading commercial space and aerospace technology hubs. The region’s space economy has more than doubled in four years, fueled by its longstanding aerospace expertise, advanced manufacturing capabilities, globally significant technology sector, and highly skilled workforce. Today, Greater Seattle is a major center for satellite manufacturing, propulsion systems, launch vehicle development, orbital computing, artificial intelligence, and advanced spacecraft technologies.
Active Satellites in Earth orbit were manufactured in Washington state
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in Direct Economic Output
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in Space Startup Funding
in Aerospace Earnings (average of $166,167 per job)
Space Vehicle Manufacturing Jobs (4.84 times the national average)
Space-Supported Jobs
Leading Space Companies and Recent Investments
Greater Seattle is home to established aerospace manufacturers, satellite producers, launch vehicle developers, and emerging commercial space startups. These companies are expanding the region’s capabilities across the commercial space value chain.
- Amazon Leo: Expanding satellite production in Kirkland to support its low-Earth orbit broadband constellation. Amazon reported nearly 400 satellites in orbit following four additional launches in the second quarter of 2026.
- BlackSky: Providing space-based intelligence, satellite imagery, and geospatial analytics as part of Greater Seattle’s satellite manufacturing, connectivity, and data services ecosystem.
- Blue Origin: Developing launch vehicles, propulsion systems, and lunar exploration technologies. In September 2026, NASA selected the Kent-headquartered company to develop the Mars Telecommunications Network under a contract with a maximum potential value of approximately $700 million.
- Cowboy Space: Expanding into Greater Seattle with a 291,035-square-foot industrial facility in Kent for aerospace and advanced manufacturing operations. The company raised $275 million in Series B funding in May 2026, and the new facility could support approximately 300 aerospace jobs.
- K2 Space: Establishing a Greater Seattle engineering operation focused on flight software, autonomy, and satellite systems. The California-based company raised $500 million in Series D funding in July 2026, bringing its total capital raised to more than $1 billion.
- Microsoft: Contributing cloud computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and data infrastructure capabilities that support Greater Seattle’s increasingly software-intensive commercial space industry.
- Portal Space Systems: Expanding its Bothell operations while developing spacecraft propulsion and orbital mobility technologies. The company has attracted approximately $70.5 million in recorded funding.
- Rocketdyne: Supporting satellite and spacecraft propulsion through its Redmond operations, contributing to Greater Seattle’s established propulsion engineering and manufacturing capabilities.
- SpaceX / Starlink: Manufacturing Starlink satellites in Redmond. According to company disclosures cited in the report, the facility produced an average of approximately 70 satellites per week between December 2025 and April 2026.
- Starcloud: Developing orbital data centers and AI computing infrastructure. The Redmond-based company has raised approximately $450 million in recorded funding and is establishing a 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Woodinville.
- Starfish Space: Developing autonomous spacecraft for satellite servicing and orbital operations. The company secured $107 million in identified 2026 federal awards from the Space Development Agency and U.S. Space Force.
- Stoke Space: Developing its fully reusable Nova launch vehicle in Kent. The company has attracted approximately $2.3 billion in recorded funding, according to the report’s September 2026 funding data.
More than half of all operational satellites in orbit are manufactured in Washington State.
Deliver to the World
Greater Seattle is the logistics and transportation hub of the Pacific Northwest and your direct access to the world.
The talent to take flight
The metropolitan area of Greater Seattle has the second highest employment level in Aerospace Engineers in the nation, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May, 2024). Several key programs continue to bolster the talent pipeline. Aircraft manufacturing has an employment concentration of 18.56, guided missile and space vehicle propulsion unit and propulsion unit parts manufacturing is 4.48, and other aircraft parts and auxiliary equipment manufacturing is 6.19.
Greater Seattle Aerospace News
The Greater Seattle Space Economy: Competitive Position, Industry Assets, Workforce, and Growth Opportunities
Greater Seattle’s commercial space economy generates an estimated $8.1 billion in direct economic output and supports approximately 34,200 jobs, positioning the region as a major U.S. center for satellite manufacturing, spacecraft development, and emerging space technologies. According to The Greater Seattle Space Economy, a 2026 research report by Greater Seattle Partners, the region’s competitive advantage…Shield AI Chooses Washington for X-BAT Autonomous Aircraft Manufacturing, Plans 4,000 Greater Seattle Jobs by 2030
Shield AI has chosen Washington state as the production home for X-BAT, its next-generation AI-piloted vertical takeoff and landing fighter aircraft, marking a major advanced manufacturing investment in Greater Seattle and a significant win for Washington’s aerospace economy. The San Diego-based defense technology company has signed a lease for a new manufacturing and engineering facility…Greater Seattle Aerospace Industry in 2025
Greater Seattle is home to one of the world’s most advanced aerospace ecosystems. The region hosts the nation’s largest aerospace supply chain, supports more than 900 aerospace companies, and has become one of North America’s fastest-growing centers for commercial space innovation. Anchored by global industry leaders including Boeing, Alaska Airlines, Blue Origin, SpaceX, ATS, Crane…
Latest News
From Earth to Orbit: How Venture Capital is Powering Seattle’s Space Economy
The region is a humming ecosystem of space innovation, where people earn their degrees, hone their skills at legacy aerospace companies, and spin off to launch their own startups all under the same PNW sun (er—clouds.)
Aerospace Incentives
Washington recently passed a new law that creates a per-gallon incentive for SAF with lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions that are at least 50 percent lower than traditional jet fuel. Other incentives include:
No personal state income tax.
No corporate income tax.
No inventory tax.
Family-wage jobs credit.
No sales or use tax on machinery and equipment used in manufacturing operations.
No sales or use tax for aerospace businesses for computer hardware/software/peripherals.
No retail sales or use tax for the construction of new facilities used for airplane repair & maintenance.
Foreign trade zones.
Workforce training grants and credits.
Other project-specific state & local programs.
Ready to take advantage of everything Greater Seattle has to offer?