The Decision Economy Powering the Future of Space
At spaceNEXT 2026, Adam Lattimore, Director of Technology and Innovation for the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED), made a clear case: the future of the space economy runs straight through Washington, DC.
“For most people, when they picture the space economy, they think of rockets blazing upward,” Lattimore said. “But launches are just one part of the space value chain.”
Markets scale where budgets are set.
Where policy is written.
Where contracts are awarded.
Where global partnerships are formed.
“That part of the space economy — the part that determines not just what gets built, but who builds it and how fast it can scale — runs straight through Washington, DC.”
Beyond Launch Sites
While states like Florida, Texas, and California dominate the imagery of liftoff, Lattimore emphasized that space commercialization depends just as much on regulatory frameworks, procurement strategy, and capital alignment.
In a highly regulated and government-driven market, proximity matters.
And no city has closer access to decision makers than the nation’s capital.
The District is home to:
All three branches of the U.S. government
More than 150 embassies
Federal agencies including NASA, NOAA, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Defense
A dense concentration of legal, policy, and regulatory expertise
“That’s not coincidence,” Lattimore noted. “That’s intention.”
Capital Is Moving to DC
The District’s role is not limited to policy.
Lattimore highlighted the surge of capital flowing into the region as venture firms increasingly recognize the value of investing at the intersection of emerging technologies and government.
In 2024, venture investment in the DC area totaled roughly $370 million. By 2025, that figure exceeded $1 billion.
Major firms have opened DC offices, adjusting investment strategies to focus on regulated markets and frontier technologies.
To strengthen early-stage support, the District launched a $26 million venture capital initiative in 2024 targeting pre-seed companies, structured to match private capital on a one-to-one basis. The city also expanded its $6 million Vitality Fund — traditionally focused on headquarters relocation — to include growth-stage companies, distributing non-dilutive capital to high-growth sectors.
“If you are a founder in the room,” Lattimore said, “applications are officially open.”
Talent Density at Scale
Capital flows where talent exists — and DC’s talent density is among the highest in the country.
The District is home to five R1 research universities collectively spending more than $1 billion annually on research. All maintain active relationships with NASA, NOAA, or the Department of Defense, and several operate dedicated space research or policy institutes.
More than 61% of adults in DC hold a bachelor’s degree — the highest share of any major U.S. city.
And the workforce is notably diverse: roughly 27% of tech workers in DC are Black, a higher share than most major tech hubs.
“Our colleges and universities are a driving force behind the district’s ecosystem,” Lattimore said.
The Decision Economy
Lattimore described DC’s differentiator as the “decision economy.”
In space — where government is the largest global procurer of goods and services — physical proximity to agencies, regulators, and lawmakers provides strategic advantage.
The growing presence of companies including Relativity Space, Blue Origin, SpaceX, Boeing, and others in Washington underscores that reality.
“Markets scale where decisions are made,” Lattimore reiterated.
As Connected DMV expands its focus to include the commercialization of space through the Potomac Center for the New Space Economy, DC’s role is structural, not symbolic.
“As the birthplace of NASA and the seat of government,” he said, “space and the nation’s capital are inextricably linked.”
The message to founders and investors was direct: DC is not just where policy happens. It is where markets are shaped.
