A high-profile gathering of state leaders, educators and aerospace industry executives at Allan Hancock College Friday marked the official launch of Space Vandenberg, a transformative initiative aimed at positioning California’s Central Coast as a national leader in the space economy and ensuring local students and residents are at the center of the region’s growth.

Backed by a $9.5 million state investment through the California Jobs First program, the new public-private partnership promises to expand career pathways in aerospace, spark innovation through academic and industry collaboration, and unlock infrastructure development at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB), now the second-busiest spaceport in the world.

“Space Vandenberg is about more than just launching rockets. It’s about la

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