Aerospace

Where Aerospace Meets Advancement

We might not be the betting kind, but we would say that if you’ve Googled anything related to aerospace, the odds are in your favor that a Colorado company was involved in the project. From Osiris Rex to Hubble Space Telescope to Dream Chaser and Orion, Colorado’s aerospace companies are at the forefront of space travel, exploration and groundbreaking research for the U.S. Government and NASA alike.

From our perspective, it seems only fitting that the state is revolutionizing the boundary-pushing aerospace industry. In addition to natural attributes such as miles of open land, strategic location and a capitol that’s nearly 5,300 feet above sea level, Colorado also possesses cutting-edge space exploration programs, four military commands and renowned research laboratories and universities.

Combined, these assets have helped Colorado develop into the nation’s second-largest aerospace economy, with more than 400 companies who are leading and supporting groundbreaking missions related to space and planetary science.

Some of these companies, including Surrey Satellite, Sierra Nevada Corporation, Maxar Lockheed Martin, Space Systems, and Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation, play critical roles in developing spacecraft to explore the final frontier. Others, such as the National Center for Atmospheric Research, perform revolutionary research that will enable us to further explore and better understand the planet.

For more than 70 years Colorado has developed and grown its aerospace industry, and as cliché as it sounds, we will continue to reach for the stars by fostering economy-driving and out-of-this world innovations.

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Key Facts & Figures

$8.3B

Economic impact in Colorado in 2022

1,100

Aerospace companies in 2022

29,000+

Employees in 2022

More than 60%

of Colorado’s aerospace companies have 10 or fewer employees in 2022

15%

Job growth from 2017 to 2022

$14.1B

Annual sales in 2022

Success Story

Ball Aerospace : Ball Aerospace Pioneers Discoveries to Go Beyond

In 1956, 20 years before Forbes coined the term “start-up,” Boulder scientists were unknowingly laying the groundwork for a company that would become a key contributor to some of America’s…
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Success Story

Surrey Satellite : Surrey Satellite’s U.S. Headquarters Transmits Positive Growth in Colorado

For U.K.-based Surrey Satellite Technology Limited, Colorado’s prominence in the nation’s aerospace industry, critical mass of satellite companies and related technology firms, and experienced workforce were key factors in choosing the state for its US headquarters.


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Major Employers