Space, Aerospace & Satellite Industry

The breakthrough research and exceptional talent generated by our university system have made Georgia a leader in the space and satellite technology industries.

The University of Georgia is working on the NASA-funded Spectral Ocean Color (SPOC) satellite mission and the Air Force-funded Mapping and Ocean Color Imager (MOCI) project. More information is available at: http://www.smallsat.uga.edu/

Georgia Tech is the state’s leader in space and communication systems research as well as one of the nation's leading producers of highly sought-after talent. The university is ranked #4 in best Undergraduate Engineering Programs, and its Aerospace Engineering program is ranked #2 in the nation. (U.S. News & World Report).

Did you know that Georgia Tech ...

• is the largest producer of aerospace engineers in the U.S.
• graduates 1 of every 8 US PhDs in aerospace engineering
• is the alma mater for 14 shuttle astronauts (out of the hundreds hired by NASA)

Through its Center for Space Technology and Research (C-STAR) initiative, Georgia Tech takes an interdisciplinary approach to space-related research. Projects range from the Prox1 trajectory control and solar sail deployment system to the RANGE inter-satellite laser communications system, to the MicroNimbus atmospheric temperature profiling system.  More information is available at CSTAR – Center for Space Technology and Research (gatech.edu). 

Georgia Tech and its graduates are responsible for many early breakthroughs in satellite communications technologies, and continue to fuel the state's robust satellite technology industry. The companies currently operating in Georgia range from emerging technology developers to major system manufacturers including:

• IntelSat
• ViaSat
• DataPath
• SpaceWorks Enterprises
• Honeywell

Business incentives in Georgia drive business growth. In addition to a low corporate tax rate of 5.75%, there are a variety of tax credits, including credits for investing in R&D, job creation, use of Georgia import/export services, and key expansion investments. Georgia tax exemptions are just as robust: they can save you lots of money in startup and operating costs. Read more about our Business Incentives.