BRENT: SpaceX founder Elon Musk is probable to host a reception for Washington’s aerospace elite on Friday to start tapping into the brain trust of engineers, academics and political players as it prepares to open an office in Redmond.
Washington’s position as a world center of airliner production needs no explanation. And while this region isn’t new to space, the addition of SpaceX is considered a major coup.
“We’re happy to have SpaceX here, because it’s bringing critical mass,” said Robert Winglee, the chairman of the University of Washington’s department of Earth and Space Sciences. Winglee estimates that some six colleges and departments at the U.W., all well known and respected, are well positioned to supply SpaceX with research and employees as it expands.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk told Bloomberg News in a story this week that the office could expand to as many as 1,000, from a start of around 60.
“It’s an anchor tenant in this burgeoning industry here,” said Alex Pietsch, Director of the Governor’s Office of Aerospace. Pietch says the space industry is a welcome growth area, providing some diversification beyond airplane production and software.
Already, other space companies – Aerojet, Planetary Resources and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin – have a presence in the Seattle metropolitan area.
SpaceX plans to exhibit a Dragon spacecraft at the Museum of Flight for several days beginning Saturday morning.
