Space – Georgia Department of Economic Development

The U.S. Commercial, Civil and Military Space markets represent a $100 billion market that is growing rapidly and Georgia intends to be a big part of it. As our national space strategy pushes LEO (Low Earth Orbit) space operations into the commercial sector, the close geographic proximity of Georgia to space launch facilities will lower the cost of doing business as a logistics, manufacturing and R&D point in Georgia.

More than 500 companies in Georgia perform all facets of aerospace vehicle & systems design, testing, manufacturing, operations, maintenance & overhaul, and support for customers throughout the world.Georgias aerospace exports grew to $7.8 billion in 2013, an increase of 17% from 2012. Georgia currently hosts business units from some of the giants of the space industry, including Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and Pratt & Whitney. Georgia is also home to businesses specifically involved in the satellite industry, including EMS Technologies (now part of Honeywell), SpaceWorks Engineering, and Masten Space Systems.

Located at the center of the Southeasts space cluster, Georgia provides strategic access to major space facilities in the region including missile defense operations in Huntsville and Decatur, Alabama; Virginias Wallops Island launch facility; and Floridas three space launch facilities.

Georgias seamless logistics and transportation network provides efficient access to these space facilities.

Georgia is a natural launching point from which people and products are quickly transported via air, ground and ocean throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia.

Georgia is an ideal place for space-related companies to seek manufacturing and research partnerships, and to hire skilled workers. Georgia ranks fourth in the nation for aerospace workers, and those 80,000 workers have been rated as the nations most productive.

Georgias colleges and universities supply companies with a well-educated workforce with strong programs in many engineering disciplines, including Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Bioengineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Robotics.

The Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology is the No. 2 ranked undergraduate and No. 4 ranked graduate aerospace engineering program in the U.S. The program is one of the oldest, and largest educational programs of its kind in the country, numbering approximately 800 undergraduate students, 500 graduate students, 39 academic faculty, and 70 research faculty.

Georgias universities and colleges annually spend in excess of $419 million in overall engineering R&D with more than $56 million in aerospace engineering R&D in FY09. Research is the backbone of the Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech ranks #2 in the U.S. in terms of the volume of aerospace R&D expenditures, with more than $49 million in FY09 (National Science Foundation).

Faculty members in the School of Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Tech are engaged in a wide variety of research topics ranging from highly theoretical work to extremely applied projects. Active research programs include diversified and multidisciplinary projects in fluid mechanics, structures and materials, aeroelasticity, controls, combustion & propulsion, design & optimization, air transportation, sustainable energy systems, and cognitive engineering, as applied to fixed wing aircraft, rotorcraft and space systems.

TheGeorgia Center of Innovation for Aerospaceactively engages high-growth potential aerospace companies, using state-backed resources to provide access to academic intellectual capital, advanced university research, and industry expertise. The Centers newly created Space Working Group, composed of key leaders from industry, government, and academia, works to ensure that the programs within the state are aligned with the needs of the space industry.