Governor Ferguson creates Governor’s Space Council

What this means

A factual summary is pending editorial review. The complete official release is reproduced below with issuer attribution and a direct link to the original publication.

Official release

Source material from Washington Governor’s Office. The wording below is the issuer’s statement.

September 29, 2026

Story Body

Group will advise Governor on maintaining our competitive edge in the space economy

SEATTLE — Governor Bob Ferguson signed an executive order creating the Governor’s Space Council at the Museum of Flight yesterday in Seattle.

The body, which includes representatives from the commercial space industry, aerospace and advanced manufacturing sectors, higher education institutions, labor and more, will advise Governor Ferguson on how to keep Washington competitive in the industry and identify ways the state can improve its standing as a global leader in the space economy.

The council will also look for ways we might be able to develop Washington-based commercial launch capabilities.

“Washington has deep roots in the space industry,” Governor Ferguson said. “But the industry moves at an incredible pace. To remain a national leader, we cannot be complacent. My council will help us innovate and adapt as this sector rapidly grows.”

Washington state is already a global leader in the space industry. For example, Boeing workers in Kent built the lunar rovers that explored the surface of the moon during the Apollo missions. Since then, generations of Washington companies have made leaps forward in software, propulsion, materials, telecommunications and much more.

Washington is home to more than 90 space companies employing more than 13,000 workers. They generating approximately $4.6 billion in annual economic activity and $1.6 billion in annual payroll. Approximately two-thirds of the world’s operational satellites are built in Washington. Washington’s premiere universities play a critical role in research, development and growing the industry’s future workforce.

Space Council Details

Specifically, the Governor’s Space Council will:

Evaluate Washington’s competitive position relative to other leading states and nations in the commercial space economy;

Identify barriers and opportunities for industry growth;

Evaluate workforce development, education, and research needs;

Assess infrastructure and supply chain capacity;

Evaluate opportunities and requirements for Washington-based commercial launch capabilities and other space-related infrastructure; and

Advise the Governor on options and recommendations to strengthen Washington’s leadership in commercial space and aerospace innovation.

The Governor’s Space Council members include:

Andy Lapsa, Stoke Space

Rob Meyerson, Interlune

Jeff Thornburg, Portal Space Systems

Austin Link, Starfish Space

Colin Doughan, Gravitics

Michael Edmonds, Blue Origin

Lisa Scalpone, Amazon LEO

Cornelia Rosu, SpaceX

Kelly Maloney, Space Northwest

Kent Mayor Dana Ralph

Redmond Mayor Angela Birney

Sen. Claudia Kauffman, D-47th District

Rep. Alex Ybarra, R-13th District

Brendan Wales, FUSE

Jason Chan, IAM 751

Ray Goforth, SPEEA

Bill Pike, PNNL

Dr. Mehran Mesbahi, University of Washington

Washington State University President Betsy Cantwell

Lynn Strickland, Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee

Trevor Devaney, Hi-Rel Laboratories

Scott Keeney, nLIGHT

Philip Johnston, Starcloud

Release text attributed to Washington Governor’s Office. Consult the official publication for any subsequent corrections or updates.