Spacelink to add 41 jobs with Fairfax expansion

McLean-based satellite telecommunications company SpaceLink Corp. will create 41 jobs by expanding in Fairfax County, allowing it to develop a satellite communications system that will provide data relay services, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday.

“SpaceLink’s expansion in Fairfax County will strengthen the commonwealth’s position as a leader in the aerospace industry,” Northam said in a statement. “Small businesses are critical to fueling economic growth, and we are proud to support this Virginia-founded company as its innovations make a name for itself in space exploration and defense.”

Developed in Fairfax County, SpaceLink’s satellite relay network is designed to provide secure and continuous communications between spacecraft in orbit and the ground and to fill in the gaps of the U.S. Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. SpaceLink also has offices in Silicon Valley, California. The company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Australian aerospace and defense contractor Electro Optic Systems, established its Northern Virginia headquarters in March.

“Fairfax County is a natural choice for SpaceLink because of its proximity to so many of our customers, partners and advisers,” SpaceLink CEO David Bettinger said in a statement. “As an innovative space company, we also have the opportunity to draw from the rich pool of talented technology and business professionals who are drawn to the region for its opportunities and dynamic environment.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority to secure the project. The VEDP’s Virginia Jobs Investment program will provide funding to SpaceLink to offset recruitment and training costs.

“We are proud to see SpaceLink growing here, and we welcome the opportunity to work with the company further,” Fairfax County Economic Development Authority President and CEO Victor Hoskins said in a statement. “Fairfax County and Northern Virginia have developed a robust aerospace and satellite cluster, and SpaceLink is the perfect company to take advantage of our many assets in that industry sector and the workforce supporting it.”