2 space companies announce million-dollar expansions out of Vandenberg
Seems SpaceX and Firefly aren’t going to be the only space game in town anymore.
On Tuesday, two other aerospace companies announced plans to invest hundreds of millions of dollars and expand their operations at Vandenberg Space Force Base on the Central Coast thanks to new California tax credits.
Nearly $178.2 million in California Competes tax credits were awarded on Tuesday, according to the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz).
The office said these credits — which went entirely to “cutting-edge industries” like “space exploration, AI semiconductor chip development and climate change innovation” — will help spur nearly $2 billion in new private investment and more than 7,600 new private-sector jobs over the next five years.
“Investing in innovation works, and no place does it better than California — solving our most existential challenges with creativity and the technology of the future,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a release.
Two companies getting the credits will focus some of their efforts on expanding at the Central Coast military base:
Relativity Space, which is currently building a Vandenberg launch complex, will take its $30.7 million tax credit and invest more than $100 million into its Long Beach and Lompoc facilities, according to a news release from economic development group, REACH Central Coast.
The company specializes in fully 3D-printed rockets. It previously received a similar credit, according to REACH, which helped kickstart its development of the new Vandenberg launch complex.
“California is a talent destination,” Caryn Schenewerk, Relativity Space vice president of government and regulatory affairs, said in the GO-Biz news release. “With our new 1-million-square-foot factory headquarters and our second launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base, we’re proud to design, build and launch the world’s first 3D-printed rocket here in California. We greatly appreciate Gov. Newsom and the GO-Biz team for investing in the future of aerospace tech.”
Between its two California facilities, Relativity Space is expected to add more than 1,000 jobs in the coming years thanks to the latest credit.
Meanwhile Astra Space Operations received a $25 million credit for its plans to invest $300 million at Vandenberg and in Fairfield and Alameda, according to REACH. Its expansion is expected to create more than 600 new jobs in those areas.
“Scaling our manufacturing capabilities is a critical part of our strategy to increase access to the space economy through more frequent launches,” Astra CEO Chris Kemp said in the GO-Biz news release. “We have an incredible team that shares the same innovative spirit as the state, and we’re grateful for California’s support.”
The companies’ announcements come as local and state officials push for the Lompoc-area base to be chosen as headquarters of U.S. Space Force’s Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM), as well as a larger effort to center the base in the nation’s space operations as a whole.
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