Greater Washington: Built to Lead the New Space Economy

The future of the space economy will not be led by isolated cities or single-purpose hubs. It will be shaped by regions that can operate as integrated systems—places where policy, science, infrastructure, talent, and global connectivity reinforce one another rather than compete.

That is exactly what Greater Washington has become.

Stretching across the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia, and suburban Maryland, Greater Washington functions as one regional platform for space innovation. Not a collection of jurisdictions, but a connected ecosystem designed to support the full lifecycle of space activity—from strategy and research to mission execution, validation, and scale.

This is not just where space ideas are discussed.
It’s where space capability is built.

“The future of the space economy will not be led by isolated cities. It will be shaped by regions that can operate as integrated systems.”

Why Space Leadership Is Regional Now

Space is no longer a standalone sector. It is an enabling layer across nearly every advanced industry:

Earth observation powers climate resilience, agriculture, insurance, and logistics.
Satellite communications underpin global connectivity and national security.
Microgravity research is accelerating breakthroughs in materials science and human health.
Cybersecurity, autonomy, AI, and data infrastructure are foundational to space operations.
Policy, standards, and international coordination determine what technologies can scale.

No single city can support all of this alone.

Greater Washington can—because its jurisdictions contribute distinct but complementary strengths, tightly connected by geography, workforce mobility, infrastructure, and long-standing collaboration.

The District of Columbia: Strategy, Governance, and Global Connection

The District of Columbia anchors the region’s role in the global space economy as a center of strategy, governance, and international engagement. This is where space policy is debated, treaties are shaped, and cross-border partnerships take form.

The District’s greatest asset is its convening power. Policymakers, researchers, diplomats, investors, and industry leaders interact here continuously, often in real time. That proximity accelerates alignment between innovation and regulation and gives the region an outsized influence over how space is governed and commercialized worldwide.

In the space economy, influence matters. The District ensures that Greater Washington’s space ecosystem is globally connected, policy-aware, and strategically positioned from the outset.

Fairfax County, Virginia: Aerospace, Defense, and Mission-Grade Execution

Fairfax County is the operational engine of Greater Washington’s space ecosystem. Its strength lies in the ability to design, integrate, and execute complex, high-consequence missions—an essential capability in an industry where failure is not an option.

The county’s deep concentration of aerospace, defense, satellite, and advanced technology activity has produced a workforce fluent in systems engineering, mission assurance, autonomy, sensing, and secure communications. These are production-grade capabilities, refined through decades of work on national security, civil space, and commercial systems.

Fairfax County plays a critical role in translating space concepts into deployable reality. It is where architectures are finalized, requirements are met, and systems are built to operate in contested, regulated, and mission-critical environments. That execution discipline makes Fairfax indispensable to the region’s ability to deliver on ambitious space objectives.

Loudoun County, Virginia: Data, Connectivity, and the Digital Spine of Space

Space today is as much a data economy as it is a physical one. Satellites generate enormous volumes of information that must be transmitted, processed, secured, and analyzed at speed.

Loudoun County provides the digital backbone that makes this possible.

As a global center for data infrastructure, cloud computing, and high-capacity connectivity, Loudoun enables the ingestion and operationalization of space-derived data at scale. These capabilities are foundational to Earth observation, space domain awareness, AI-driven analytics, autonomous systems, and secure communications.

Loudoun’s role is often invisible—but essential. Without resilient digital infrastructure, modern space systems cannot function. Loudoun ensures that Greater Washington can support the full data lifecycle of the space economy, from orbit to actionable insight.

Montgomery County, Maryland: Life Sciences, Biotech, and Space Health

As space activity extends beyond short missions into long-duration presence, in-space research, and human habitation, biology becomes just as important as engineering.

Montgomery County is one of Greater Washington’s most distinctive assets in this next phase of the space economy.

The county’s life sciences and biotechnology ecosystem supports research and commercialization in human health, bioengineering, advanced materials, and diagnostics. These strengths align directly with emerging space priorities: astronaut health and performance, space medicine, microgravity-enabled drug discovery, and biologically driven manufacturing.

Montgomery County also contributes critical capabilities in validation and standardization—ensuring that new technologies can be tested, proven, and safely deployed. This combination of scientific depth and translational capacity strengthens the region’s ability to support space innovation that must operate reliably under extreme conditions.

Howard County, Maryland: Cybersecurity, Analytics, and Mission Resilience

As space systems become integral to daily life and national infrastructure, security and resilience are no longer secondary considerations—they are foundational requirements.

Howard County reinforces Greater Washington’s strength in cybersecurity, analytics, and secure innovation. Its concentration of cyber expertise supports the protection of space assets, ground systems, and the vast data streams that connect them.

This capability is essential as commercial space scales and as space-enabled services become embedded in transportation, energy, emergency response, finance, and global commerce. Howard County adds a layer of trust and resilience to the regional ecosystem, ensuring that innovation can scale without compromising security.

Prince George’s County, Maryland: Civil Space, Earth Science, and Mission-to-Market Translation

Prince George’s County anchors Greater Washington’s role in civil space and Earth science.

Home to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the county supports satellite development, Earth observation, mission operations, and space-based data systems that power climate monitoring, weather forecasting, disaster response, and planetary science. These are operational, mission-critical capabilities with direct impact on life and infrastructure on Earth.

Prince George’s County also plays a key role in translating validated science into broader application. Its proximity to federal research, the University of Maryland, and a dense network of technical partners helps move space-based discovery from mission environments into scalable services and commercial use. As the space economy increasingly focuses on Earth intelligence and real-world outcomes, Prince George’s County ensures the region’s innovation remains grounded, credible, and mission-driven.

One Region, One Operating System

What makes Greater Washington exceptional is not simply that these capabilities exist—but that they are deeply interconnected.

Talent moves fluidly across jurisdictions.
Companies collaborate across county and state lines.
Policy, research, and industry interact continuously rather than sequentially.
Global engagement is embedded into the region’s daily work.

This is what it means to function as a region rather than a patchwork.

The result is a space ecosystem capable of supporting complexity, managing risk, and accelerating the path from idea to impact—without forcing companies or institutions to leave the region as they grow.

“What makes Greater Washington exceptional is not just its assets — it’s how deliberately they are connected.”

Build Here Means Build Together

The next era of the space economy will be defined by regions that can integrate science, systems, governance, and scale. Greater Washington does this by design.

At spaceNEXT, Greater Washington: Build Here is not a slogan.
It is a reflection of how this region operates.

This is where policy meets production.
Where life sciences meet orbit.
Where data, cyber, and infrastructure converge.
Where global ambition becomes operational reality.

The future of space is being built now.
And Greater Washington is building it—together.