https://www.kentvalleywa.com Kent Valley Economic Development News Feed Sun, 26 Jul 2026 14:09:12 +0000 en-US https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68404/dod-adds-114b-to-natsec-launch-contracts https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68404/dod-adds-114b-to-natsec-launch-contracts Mon, 20 Jul 2026 07:00:00 +0000 PAYLOAD - The DoD upped its ceiling for national security space launches (NSSL) by $11.4B on Friday, more than tripling the pool of NSSL launch contracts from $5.6B to $17B.The companies standing to benefit are the seven launcher providers already selected under the NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 program:Blue OriginImpulse... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68402/smbc-orders-100-b737-max-aircraft-at-farnborough-airshow-2026 https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68402/smbc-orders-100-b737-max-aircraft-at-farnborough-airshow-2026 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 07:00:00 +0000 AERO TIME - Japanese-owned leasing firm SMBC Aviation Capital placed an order for 100 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft on July 20, 2026, during the 2026 Farnborough International Airshow. This order, which brings SMBC’s MAX-family orderbook to 450 aircraft, includes a mix of 737-10 and 737-8s, with 60 and 40 aircraft... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68401/boeing-sees-demand-for-24m-aviation-professionals-in-20-years https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68401/boeing-sees-demand-for-24m-aviation-professionals-in-20-years Sun, 19 Jul 2026 07:00:00 +0000 AERO TIMES - Boeing expects the global commercial aviation industry to require more than 2.4 million new aviation professionals over the next two decades, as airlines expand their fleets while replacing a retiring workforce.The forecast estimates demand for 674,000 pilots as well as 728,000 maintenance technicians and more than a... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68342/new-frontier-aerospace-plans-sales-of-3dprinted-hypersonic-rocket-engine https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68342/new-frontier-aerospace-plans-sales-of-3dprinted-hypersonic-rocket-engine Tue, 14 Jul 2026 07:00:00 +0000 AEROSPACE AMERICA (AIAA) - Washington state startup New Frontier Aerospace is moving to install by the end of this year its 3D-printed, hypersonic-capable rocket engine onto a drone to demonstrate and gather data on its performance.The company, headquartered in Kent, plans to offer the relatively compact, liquid natural gas-fueled engine,... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68233/blue-origin-nears-a-big-fundraising-round https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68233/blue-origin-nears-a-big-fundraising-round Wed, 08 Jul 2026 07:00:00 +0000 THE NEW YORK TIMES - Blue Origin, the rocket company that is becoming increasingly key to NASA’s lunar plans, already has a deep-pocketed backer: its founder, Jeff Bezos.But the company is now raising outside capital for the first time — $10 billion at a $130 billion valuation excluding the new... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68205/nasa-and-small-business-administration-partner-on-funding-key-space-technologies https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68205/nasa-and-small-business-administration-partner-on-funding-key-space-technologies Sun, 05 Jul 2026 07:00:00 +0000 SPACENEWS - NASA is partnering with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) on an effort to attract capital to invest in companies producing critical space components.NASA and the SBA signed a memorandum of agreement last week on the partnership, leveraging an existing SBA program that supports private investment in small... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68204/amazon-leo-constellation-ready-to-support-initial-service-after-ula-mission https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68204/amazon-leo-constellation-ready-to-support-initial-service-after-ula-mission Thu, 02 Jul 2026 07:00:00 +0000 VIA SATELLITE - The Amazon Leo constellation now has enough satellites in orbit to support “continuous service across initial latitudes,” after a United Launch Alliance (ULA) mission in the early hours of Thursday.ULA launched 29 satellites for Amazon Leo in an Atlas V mission that took off from Cape Canaveral... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68207/nasa-chief-praises-progress-blue-origin-is-making-after-launch-failure https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68207/nasa-chief-praises-progress-blue-origin-is-making-after-launch-failure Wed, 01 Jul 2026 07:00:00 +0000 ARS TECHNICA - NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said this week that Blue Origin has been putting significant resources into the cleanup of its launch pad since the explosion of its New Glenn rocket there in late May.“Blue Origin’s response to the situation is almost beyond impressive, and that’s not just... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68206/blue-origin-pivots-to-redesigned-launchpad-after-explosion-in-push-to-fly-by-end-of-2026 https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68206/blue-origin-pivots-to-redesigned-launchpad-after-explosion-in-push-to-fly-by-end-of-2026 Tue, 30 Jun 2026 07:00:00 +0000 CNBC - Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp said the startup is determined to return to flight “by the end of this year” after one of its New Glenn rockets exploded on the launchpad in May.The rocket company won’t be “rebuilding the same pad,” but is using the same site and... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68208/blue-origin-says-it-will-launch-a-new-glenn-rocket-this-year https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68208/blue-origin-says-it-will-launch-a-new-glenn-rocket-this-year Wed, 17 Jun 2026 07:00:00 +0000 BLOOMBERG - Blue Origin is already rebuilding the Florida launch site where its New Glenn rocket exploded last month, making way for the space company to fly again this year and rejuvenate its ambitions to challenge SpaceX.Some of the launch infrastructure, including propellant tanks and a booster in the integration... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67913/stoke-space-completes-nova-stage-1-structural-verification https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67913/stoke-space-completes-nova-stage-1-structural-verification Wed, 10 Jun 2026 07:00:00 +0000 NASA SPACE FLIGHT - Stoke Space completed proto-qualification of the first stage of its Nova rocket at its testing site in Moses Lake, Washington, in early June 2026. This milestone paves the way for the debut of the medium-lift Nova vehicle targeted for the end of 2026 from the historic... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67820/space-northwest-teams-up-with-commercial-space-federation-on-business-accelerator-program https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67820/space-northwest-teams-up-with-commercial-space-federation-on-business-accelerator-program Tue, 02 Jun 2026 07:00:00 +0000 GEEKWIRE - Space Northwest, a nonprofit association serving the Pacific Northwest’s space industry ecosystem, says it’s partnering with the Commercial Space Federation to launch a regional space business accelerator.The initiative will begin with an executive roundtable scheduled this summer, followed by a 12-week accelerator program due to begin in autumn... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67813/faa-approves-boeings-next-max-production-increase-ceo-ortberg-says https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67813/faa-approves-boeings-next-max-production-increase-ceo-ortberg-says Wed, 27 May 2026 07:00:00 +0000 THE SEATTLE TIMES - Boeing has hit another regulatory milestone in its effort to increase MAX production, paving the way to build 47 planes per month this summer, CEO Kelly Ortberg said Wednesday.Boeing recently completed its “capstone review” with the Federal Aviation Administration for the next rate increase, Ortberg said,... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67809/boeing-ceo-says-200jet-china-deal-an-initial-tranche-with-more-to-come https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67809/boeing-ceo-says-200jet-china-deal-an-initial-tranche-with-more-to-come Wed, 27 May 2026 07:00:00 +0000 REUTERS - China's commitment to buy 200 Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab jets during a recent visit by U.S. President Donald Trump will ‌be firmed up later this year and is only an "initial tranche" of a potentially far bigger deal, the planemaker's CEO Kelly Ortberg said.Investors had expressed disappointment... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67812/nasa-provides-update-on-moon-base-rovers-landers-missions https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67812/nasa-provides-update-on-moon-base-rovers-landers-missions Tue, 26 May 2026 07:00:00 +0000 NASA - During a Moon Base event Tuesday at NASA’s Headquarters in Washington, the agency announced new contracts for lunar rovers for crew to drive and uncrewed cargo landers bound for the Moon. NASA leaders also shared target launch timeframes and upcoming milestones for the first Moon Base infrastructure and... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67808/nasa-taps-bezos-blue-origin-firefly-for-moon-base-contracts https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67808/nasa-taps-bezos-blue-origin-firefly-for-moon-base-contracts Tue, 26 May 2026 07:00:00 +0000 BLOOMBERG - NASA picked Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace and other space firms to send robotic landers, rovers and even drones to the moon as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to jumpstart a lunar base before the end of the decade.The US space agency awarded Lunar Outpost and... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67806/at-tech-alliance-annual-luncheon-a-stark-analysis-and-a-call-to-action https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67806/at-tech-alliance-annual-luncheon-a-stark-analysis-and-a-call-to-action Wed, 20 May 2026 07:00:00 +0000 GEEKWIRE - It’s a complicated moment in Washington, our home state, where the tech giants are strong, the satellites are abundant, and economic growth may no longer be above average.That was the feeling walking out of the Technology Alliance’s annual State of Technology luncheon Tuesday, where a deep dive on... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67621/trump-and-boeing-announce-china-will-purchase-200-planes https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67621/trump-and-boeing-announce-china-will-purchase-200-planes Fri, 15 May 2026 07:00:00 +0000 THE NEW YORK TIMES - President Trump and Boeing said on Friday that China had agreed to order 200 of the company’s planes, potentially lifting the fortunes of the American jet manufacturer in one of the world’s largest aviation markets. But Beijing officials were noncommittal.Aboard Air Force One on his... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68234/jeff-bezoss-blue-origin-weighs-first-external-fundraising https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/68234/jeff-bezoss-blue-origin-weighs-first-external-fundraising Tue, 12 May 2026 07:00:00 +0000 FINANCIAL TIMES - Blue Origin is weighing its first external fundraising as part of a push by Jeff Bezos’s rocket venture to hit ambitious launch targets and tap investor appetite boosted by SpaceX’s upcoming initial public offering.Chief executive Dave Limp told employees at a recent all-hands meeting that the company... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67546/blue-origin-tests-1st-moon-lander-ahead-of-lunar-launch-later-this-year https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67546/blue-origin-tests-1st-moon-lander-ahead-of-lunar-launch-later-this-year Fri, 08 May 2026 07:00:00 +0000 SPACE.COM - Blue Origin continues putting its first lunar lander through its paces, testing the spacecraft at NASA centers across the nation to prepare it for its upcoming mission to the moon.That vehicle, named "Endurance," is Blue Origin's uncrewed Blue Moon MK1 test lander, which is designed to pave the... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67475/blue-origin-moon-lander-completes-testing-at-nasa-vacuum-chamber https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67475/blue-origin-moon-lander-completes-testing-at-nasa-vacuum-chamber Mon, 04 May 2026 07:00:00 +0000 NASA - Also known as Endurance, MK1 is an uncrewed cargo lander funded by Blue Origin as a commercial demonstration mission to advance Human Landing System capabilities in support of NASA’s Artemis program. The tests in Chamber A represent a public-private partnership model, with Blue Origin conducting work through a... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67453/egyptair-takes-delivery-of-first-boeing-737-max-jet https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67453/egyptair-takes-delivery-of-first-boeing-737-max-jet Sun, 03 May 2026 07:00:00 +0000 BOEING - Boeing and EgyptAir announced today the Egyptian national airline took delivery of its first 737 MAX. The 737-8 is the first of 18 airplanes leased from SMBC Aviation Capital to be delivered and represents the first 737 MAX in Egypt."The delivery of our first Boeing 737 MAX marks... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67415/blacksky-wins-nearly-30-million-oneyear-assured-contract-from-international-defense-customer https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67415/blacksky-wins-nearly-30-million-oneyear-assured-contract-from-international-defense-customer Thu, 30 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +0000 BLACKSKY - BlackSky Technology Inc. (NYSE: BKSY) won a nearly $30 million, one-year Assured contract from an international defense customer. The customer rapidly scaled from an initial six-figure Early Access program to the subscription deal in less than six months to meet an accelerated need for real time space-based tactical... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67416/blue-origin-certainly-has-ambitious-launch-targets-for-new-glenn https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67416/blue-origin-certainly-has-ambitious-launch-targets-for-new-glenn Thu, 30 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +0000 ARS TECHNICA - Earlier this week, Blue Origin posted a job opportunity for a “senior manager” to oversee tank fabrication for “Quattro,” and the description contained some intriguing information.“As part of a hardworking team of specialists, technicians, and engineers you will be the Senior Manager of Gen 2.0 Tank Fabrication,... https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67413/boeing-and-scat-airlines-announce-order-for-five-737-max-jets-to-support-growth https://www.kentvalleywa.com/news-and-resources/recent-news/p/item/67413/boeing-and-scat-airlines-announce-order-for-five-737-max-jets-to-support-growth Wed, 29 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +0000 BOEING PR - Boeing [NYSE: BA] and SCAT Airlines today announced the carrier will expand its fleet and boost capacity with the fuel-efficient 737 MAX. The airline's previously unidentified order for five more 737-9 jets will support operational efficiency and expand longer-range single-aisle service, including more routes to Europe.SCAT also...