Press Releases

Congressman Salud Carbajal, representative for the U.S. Western Range at Vandenberg Space Force Base and senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, joined Representatives Ted Lieu (D-CA-36) and Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-18) to lead a bipartisan call by nearly the entirety of California’s Congressional delegation today urging Governor Gavin Newsom to prioritize investments in California’s space economy.

“With the increased cadence in commercial, national security, and civil space launch, there is not a better time to position California to be a global leader in the space economy,” Carbajal and 41 other members of the delegation wrote. “While we continue to advocate for federal funding for California, we cannot compete without bold state leadership and investment. If California does not meet the moment and follow suit with other space states, then we will be left behind and lose out on a generational opportunity.”

The California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) estimates that California’s space industry generates more than $60 billion annually in economic activity and employs more than half a million Californians.

The letter was signed by California Senators Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler, as well as Representatives Pete Aguilar, Nanette Barragán, Ami Bera, Julia Brownley, Tony Cárdenas, Judy Chu, Lou Correa, Jim Costa, Mark DeSaulnier, Anna Eshoo, John Garamendi, Robert Garcia, Jimmy Gomez, Josh Harder, Jared Huffman, Sara Jacobs, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Ro Khanna, Doug LaMalfa, Barbara Lee, Mike Levin, Doris Matsui, Kevin Mullin, Grace Napolitano, Jimmy Panetta, Nancy Pelosi, Scott Peters, Katie Porter, Raul Ruiz, Linda Sánchez, Adam Schiff, Brad Sherman, Eric Swalwell, Mark Takano, Mike Thompson, David Valadao, and Juan Vargas.

The full letter sent to Governor Newsom can be found here and below:

Dear Governor Newsom,

Thank you for your robust efforts to ensure California’s leading role in our nation’s space ecosystem. We were encouraged by the 2022 announcement of the Space Industry Task Force and are eager to see their work completed. With the increased cadence in commercial, national security, and civil space launch, there is not a better time to position California to be a global leader in the space economy. We write to encourage you to continue making significant investments to support California’s commercial space industry.

Nearly two decades ago the Florida Legislature created Space Florida to situate the state as a leader in space and to grow their space economy. They have been incredibly successful in that mission, having an impact of nearly $6 billion since it was created. In 2023, Texas approved a $350 million investment to create the Texas Space Commission, $200 million of which will go to the creation of the Texas A&M Space Institute. While we continue to advocate for federal funding for California, we cannot compete without bold state leadership and investment. If California does not meet the moment and follow suit with other space states, then we will be left behind and lose out on a generational opportunity.

California is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the rapidly growing space economy as we host several Federal space equities. The Central Coast is home to Vandenberg Space Force Base, one of the few places in the nation where we can vertically launch payloads into orbit. Our state is also home to the Los Angeles Air Force Base, the home of Space Base Delta 3 and Space Systems Command, and NASA facilities like the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Ames Research Center. The Mojave Air and Space Port and other airports pursuing spaceport licenses provide important horizontal launch and test capabilities. In addition to launch and research capabilities, California also boasts a strong commercial remote sensing, commercial space communications, and satellite manufacturing industry.

California’s potential to be a leader in space goes beyond just commercial opportunities. Our state has proudly been the nation's leader in sustainability for decades. The state can start working now to set the gold standard for what a sustainable space economy looks like. California can also work now to ensure their space industry is equitable and ensure protection for workers. We are also lucky to house some of the nation’s premiere universities, which among others includes the University of California and Cal State University systems. The state can help facilitate partnerships with academic institutions to continue the proliferation of scientific advancement and help build a career pipeline.

We have already witnessed a significant increase in the number of launches over the last few years, from 11 in 2021 to 50 projected out of Vandenberg in 2024. In large part due to growth in the commercial space sector, that number will continue growing, presenting the potential for massive economic growth in the state. In 2021, the economic output of this industry was $221 billion and supported 360,000 private sector jobs. These values are projected to increase in coming years. Supporting the commercial industry will also directly translate to increased capabilities for both our national security and civilian space programs, ensuring we always have assured access to space.

Multiple space and space-adjacent companies already have a presence in the state from north to south. We appreciate your efforts to position California to attract existing companies in this industry, and the countless that will form in the coming years and support continuing efforts to build out California’s space industry. The workforce needed to sustain the space economy will bring more good, high paying jobs to California.

We are grateful you have prioritized California’s place in the space economy. We strongly support and encourage additional efforts to continue investing in and growing California’s space industry and stand by ready to advocate for the state at the Federal level. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us in Congress. We look forward to working with you on this important issue that will benefit our home state.

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