Southern California's aerospace industry is experiencing a significant revival, driven by private space companies like SpaceX, Relativity Space, and Vast, which are creating thousands of high-paying jobs and revitalizing manufacturing hubs in the region.

Between 2022 and 2024, the sector added approximately 11,000 high-paying jobs with average salaries exceeding $100,000, supporting economic diversification and offering new opportunities for underrepresented communities.

This growth is bolstered by innovation in propulsion and satellite technology, with companies like Rocket Lab expanding small satellite production for global internet and Earth observation, alongside public-private partnerships with NASA and local governments enhancing infrastructure.

Vast, a Long Beach startup, plans to build a commercial space station to replace the aging International Space Station, with its first small station expected to launch in 2024, leveraging SpaceX technology.

AstroForge, based in Seal Beach, is pursuing asteroid mining to extract platinum, reflecting high-risk, high-reward ambitions despite setbacks like lost contact with its last spacecraft.

Varda Space Industries in El Segundo is developing microgravity manufacturing for pharmaceuticals, raising over $329 million to produce molecules for cancer and HIV treatments.

The industry’s growth supports related sectors such as logistics, hospitality, and education, with space tourism and launch events attracting visitors and stimulating local economies.

Challenges remain, including supply chain vulnerabilities and geopolitical tensions over space resources, but prospects are positive if California improves talent retention and regulatory processes.

Looking ahead, experts predict continued expansion with new ventures like Vast’s orbital stations, aiming to position Southern California as a leading hub in the commercial space industry.

Long Beach is transforming industrial neighborhoods into aerospace manufacturing and innovation centers, attracting companies like Relativity Space, which develops 3D-printed rockets.

Despite SpaceX relocating its headquarters to Texas in 2024, the company maintains substantial operations in Hawthorne, California, leveraging local university talent despite high living costs and regulatory challenges.

The resurgence is fueled by private investments from Silicon Valley firms like Khosla Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz, which are heavily investing in aerospace startups and contributing to regional economic growth.