https://www.kentvalleywa.com Kent Valley Economic Development News Feed Sun, 18 Oct 2026 06:51:35 +0000 en-US https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/70018/blue-origin-outlines-new-glenn-launch-infrastructure-upgrades https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/70018/blue-origin-outlines-new-glenn-launch-infrastructure-upgrades Fri, 16 Oct 2026 07:00:00 +0000 SPACE NEWS - Blue Origin plans to build additional launch pads and landing platform ships as part of investments needed to enable a much higher cadence of New Glenn launches from Florida.…Note:  Blue Origin is headquartered in Kent.Click here to read the full article (paywall) https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/70017/aerospace-and-defense-tenants-take-788000-sqft-as-space-economy-fills-puget-sound-industrial-space https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/70017/aerospace-and-defense-tenants-take-788000-sqft-as-space-economy-fills-puget-sound-industrial-space Thu, 15 Oct 2026 07:00:00 +0000 THE REGISTRY - Shield AI, Cowboy Space and an unnamed aerospace company together committed to roughly 788,000 square feet of Puget Sound industrial space in the third quarter, giving landlords a source of demand that is not tied to the logistics cycle at a time when the region's big warehouses... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69929/blacksky-wins-sixfigure-gen3-ondemand-pilot-contract-with-new-international-intelligence-customer https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69929/blacksky-wins-sixfigure-gen3-ondemand-pilot-contract-with-new-international-intelligence-customer Thu, 08 Oct 2026 07:00:00 +0000 BLACKSKY - BlackSky Technology Inc. (NYSE: BKSY) won a six-figure Gen-3 On-Demand pilot imagery services contract with a new international intelligence customer, expanding the company’s operational footprint with a major sovereign partner in a critical strategic region.“The rapid adoption of our advanced Gen-3 capabilities underscores a fundamental shift in how... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69870/former-nasa-science-leader-joins-blue-origin https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69870/former-nasa-science-leader-joins-blue-origin Sun, 04 Oct 2026 07:00:00 +0000 SPACE NEWS - A former NASA associate administrator for science is joining Blue Origin to lead the company’s advanced technology work.…Note:  Blue Origin is headquartered in Kent.Click here to read the full article. https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69869/blue-origin-unveils-huge-power-tower-to-boost-solar-electricity-on-the-moon-video https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69869/blue-origin-unveils-huge-power-tower-to-boost-solar-electricity-on-the-moon-video Sun, 04 Oct 2026 07:00:00 +0000 SPACE.COM - “Our Power Tower is a 20-meter-tall, vertically deployed solar array system designed to provide more than 10 kilowatts of power for Moon Base operations at the lunar south pole.”Blue Origin just unveiled its "Power Tower," which is designed to provide solar electricity for an upcoming base on the... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69856/transporter18-tests-the-building-blocks-of-orbital-data-centers https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69856/transporter18-tests-the-building-blocks-of-orbital-data-centers Thu, 01 Oct 2026 07:00:00 +0000 PAYLOAD - Few rideshares come with a theme, but SpaceX’s Transporter-18—which launched Thursday from Vandenberg—had one: getting power to compute in orbit.Three of its payloads are each testing a different piece of the ODC puzzle.Cowboy Space’s Reason-1 will attempt to beam solar power to Earth via laser—a test run for... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69855/the-first-mission-milestones-onboard-spacexs-transporter18-rideshare-launch https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69855/the-first-mission-milestones-onboard-spacexs-transporter18-rideshare-launch Thu, 01 Oct 2026 07:00:00 +0000 VIA SATELLITE - SpaceX launched 130 payloads on an Oct. 1 dedicated rideshare mission, including milestone first missions for a number of its customers.Transporter-18 is part of an attempt to launch three missions in one day. It began with the Crew-13 Falcon 9 astronaut launch for NASA from Florida at... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69854/blue-origin-seeking-to-increase-new-glenn-launch-cadence-at-cape-canaveral https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69854/blue-origin-seeking-to-increase-new-glenn-launch-cadence-at-cape-canaveral Wed, 30 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000 SPACE NEWS - As Blue Origin continues to recover from a New Glenn pad explosion in May, the company is seeking permission to significantly increase the vehicle’s launch rate.…Note:  Blue Origin is headquartered in Kent.Click here to read the full article. https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69823/fresh-figures-suggest-washingtons-space-industry-has-doubled-its-economic-impact-again https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69823/fresh-figures-suggest-washingtons-space-industry-has-doubled-its-economic-impact-again Tue, 29 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000 GEEKWIRE - The preliminary results of a study commissioned by Space Northwest, an association focused on regional space ventures, suggest that Washington state’s space economy contributes $8.1 billion in direct economic output annually.The newly reported figures show that the space industry’s economic impact in the Evergreen State has nearly doubled... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69809/as-gov-ferguson-kicks-off-seattle-space-week-kent-pitches-powerrich-300000-sqft-manufacturing-campus-to-space-firms https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69809/as-gov-ferguson-kicks-off-seattle-space-week-kent-pitches-powerrich-300000-sqft-manufacturing-campus-to-space-firms Mon, 28 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000 THE REGISTRY - As Gov. Bob Ferguson opens Seattle Space Week, Kent is positioning itself as the place where Washington's space and deep-tech companies move from prototype to production, with Actuate Ventures building out its Ignition Point Labs hub and Mortenson Development marketing a 9.3-acre, 20-megawatt campus that could deliver... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69871/a-whole-new-ballgame https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69871/a-whole-new-ballgame Fri, 25 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000 PUGET SOUND BUSINESS JOURNAL - Kyle Boddy is at the forefront of revolutionary technology reshaping an industry that dates back centuries.It's a data-driven approach that has changed how many organizations develop personnel, virtually overhauling departments once replete with talent evaluators.Organizations that were quick to adapt saw success and established a... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69808/tech-moves-sustainability-civic-geek-life-with-nasas-backing-starfish-space-is-getting-ready-for-the-orbital-debut-of-its-flagship-otter-spacecraft https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69808/tech-moves-sustainability-civic-geek-life-with-nasas-backing-starfish-space-is-getting-ready-for-the-orbital-debut-of-its-flagship-otter-spacecraft Thu, 24 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000 GEEKWIRE - Tukwila, Wash.-based Starfish Space is ready for the first launch of its full-size Otter space servicing vehicle, following two orbital tests of scaled-down prototypes.Otter is due to lift off from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base no earlier than Oct. 1, riding into orbit alongside other payloads on SpaceX’s... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69153/with-another-huge-infusion-of-cash-stoke-space-goes-even-bigger https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69153/with-another-huge-infusion-of-cash-stoke-space-goes-even-bigger Tue, 08 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000 ARS TECHNICA - Stoke Space announced Tuesday that it has raised another significant round of funding, $1 billion, as it makes a final push toward its debut launch next year. The Washington-based launch company also revealed plans for a larger medium-lift vehicle.With the Series E funding round, co-led by Point72... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69138/footwear-retailer-to-open-in-paul-allens-former-computer-museum-in-sodo https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69138/footwear-retailer-to-open-in-paul-allens-former-computer-museum-in-sodo Tue, 08 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000 PUGET SOUND BUSINESS JOURNAL - Paul Allen's now-defunct Living Computers Museum and Labs in Seattle's Sodo neighborhood is being remade into a fashion-focused retail hub.Developer Martin Otterson, through his Sea Otter Group LLC, has signed Billy Footwear as the building's first new tenant since the museum closed in 2020. The... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69151/stoke-space-raises-another-billion-to-rival-spacex-at-reflying-rockets https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69151/stoke-space-raises-another-billion-to-rival-spacex-at-reflying-rockets Tue, 08 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000 TECH CRUNCH - The fuel for a fully reusable rocket that can unlock truly low-cost access to space isn’t methane or liquid oxygen. It’s cash, and Stoke Space Technologies is tanking up. The company has now “completed the initial closing” of a $1 billion Series E round intended to help... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69152/stoke-space-raises-1b-initial-series-e-round https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69152/stoke-space-raises-1b-initial-series-e-round Tue, 08 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000 PAYLOAD - Stoke Space’s investors keep coming back, and so, eventually, should its rockets.The company announced today that it has closed an initial $1B tranche of a Series E round, bringing the company’s total capital raised to $2.3B.The funds will scale manufacturing, test, launch, and recovery infrastructure as the company... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69154/blue-origin-to-build-a-game-changer-satellite-before-humans-reach-mars https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69154/blue-origin-to-build-a-game-changer-satellite-before-humans-reach-mars Fri, 04 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000 USA TODAY - If NASA wants to send humans to Mars in the years ahead, the space agency will need a reliable way for those astronauts to communicate with Earth.To that end, NASA has tapped Blue Origin to develop the agency's newest spacecraft that could by 2030 be orbiting the... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69150/blue-ring-for-a-red-planet-blue-origin-wins-700m-from-nasa-for-mars-telecommunications-orbiter https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69150/blue-ring-for-a-red-planet-blue-origin-wins-700m-from-nasa-for-mars-telecommunications-orbiter Thu, 03 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000 GEEKWIRE - Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture has won a contract worth up to $700 million to boost NASA’s telecommunications capability in Martian orbit, using a version of the company’s Blue Ring multi-mission space platform.The contract calls on Blue Origin to deliver a high-performance Mars telecommunications orbiter to NASA... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69155/nasa-bets-700-million-on-jeff-bezos-blue-origin-for-mars-missions https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69155/nasa-bets-700-million-on-jeff-bezos-blue-origin-for-mars-missions Wed, 02 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000 FORBES - NASA has selected Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin to develop a next-generation communications network for Mars, making a consequential bet on the company’s rapidly developing spacecraft business with a contract worth up to $700 million. The network will provide reliable, high-bandwidth communications and navigation services for NASA missions to... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69139/sharp-doubles-down-on-seattle-area-with-new-office-on-rentons-longacres-campus https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/69139/sharp-doubles-down-on-seattle-area-with-new-office-on-rentons-longacres-campus Wed, 26 Aug 2026 07:00:00 +0000 PUGET SOUND BUSINESS JOURNAL - Office equipment company Sharp Business Systems has moved into a roughly 8,400-square-foot office at Renton's Longacres campus.The company, which held a ribbon-cutting last month, said the new space is about twice as large as its previous office in Bellevue. The expanded footprint underscores Sharp's confidence... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68762/nasa-picks-blue-origin-firefly-l3harris-for-100m-spacecraft-contract https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68762/nasa-picks-blue-origin-firefly-l3harris-for-100m-spacecraft-contract Mon, 17 Aug 2026 07:00:00 +0000 MSN - NASA selected All Points Logistics, Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace (FLY) and L3Harris Technologies (LHX) to compete for spacecraft and rocket-hardware processing work under a contract with a combined ceiling of $100 million.The four companies were added through an on-ramp provision in NASA’s Spacecraft Processing Operations Contract. The provision... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68741/satellite-operators-are-in-panic-mode-due-to-a-worsening-launch-crisis https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68741/satellite-operators-are-in-panic-mode-due-to-a-worsening-launch-crisis Mon, 17 Aug 2026 07:00:00 +0000 ARS TECHNICA - This should be a golden era of launch.During the last three years, an average of 270 orbital rockets have launched from Earth, a more than three-fold increase from only a decade ago. By every metric available, the launch industry is crushing it: Prices have never been more... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68740/stoke-space-is-raising-1-billion-to-fund-flagship-nova-rocket https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68740/stoke-space-is-raising-1-billion-to-fund-flagship-nova-rocket Thu, 13 Aug 2026 07:00:00 +0000 BLOOMBERG - Stoke Space Technologies Inc. is raising $1 billion to accelerate development and production of a fully reusable rocket to challenge Elon Musk’s SpaceX, people familiar with the matter said.The closely held startup is raising money at a valuation of around $9 billion, excluding the new funds, said the... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68739/how-rocket-science-could-save-pacific-raceways https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68739/how-rocket-science-could-save-pacific-raceways Thu, 13 Aug 2026 07:00:00 +0000 AUTOWEEK - For nearly three decades, Pacific Raceways President Jason Fiorito has tried to juggle keeping his family-owned racetrack at Kent, Washington, south of Seattle, profitable and sustainable in an environment of urban sprawl, only four months of unreliably ideal weather, and property taxes that pencil out to about $3,500... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68640/blacksky-reports-record-service-revenue-and-international-growth-from-gen3-adoption https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68640/blacksky-reports-record-service-revenue-and-international-growth-from-gen3-adoption Thu, 06 Aug 2026 07:00:00 +0000 VIA SATELLITE - BlackSky reported record service revenue in the second quarter of 2026, driven by adoption of its Gen-3 satellite solutions.The company reported total revenue of $33 million in Q2, up 50% from the prior year. Revenue from space-based intelligence & AI services was $24.5 million during the quarter,...