Ferguson touts Washington’s space cluster and warns of growing interstate competition

Governor Ferguson framed the state’s role in the commercial space industry as both historic and forward-looking, citing family ties to Boeing and a deep regional industrial base. "We have a cluster of more than 90 space companies employing more than 13,000 workers generating over $4,000,000,000 in annual economic activity and $1.6 billions in annual payroll," he said.

Ferguson said Washington must continue to "keep moving" because "the competition is real" with states such as Florida, Texas and Colorado actively pursuing the industry. He emphasized the state’s research strengths at universities and the need to invest in infrastructure to retain companies and talent.

Ferguson also told the room that "well over half the satellites in space right now" were made in Washington, a claim he made from the podium; that statistic was presented as an industry highlight and was not verified during the event.