Seattle startup Orbital Robotics to send robotic arms to space station

Seattle-based startup Orbital Robotics is preparing to launch a pair of robotic arms to the International Space Station (ISS) in the third quarter of 2027. The robotic arms, designed for an Astrobee robot, will perform tasks such as capturing another Astrobee and swapping out a computer module. This mission serves as a test for future satellite servicing technologies. Orbital Robotics was established in 2024 by former Blue Origin employees.

In a notable leadership shift, Pedram Rezaei, a former chief technology officer of Microsoft's Copilot, has joined Amazon Web Services (AWS) as a distinguished engineer. Rezaei, who spent nearly two decades at Microsoft, will initially focus on AWS's coding tool Kiro and the AI assistant Quick. Additionally, two long-time AWS engineers, Marvin Theimer and Reto Kramer, have returned to the company after working at Microsoft.

A recent report highlights that Seattle's tax revenues have significantly outpaced population and job growth. The revenue surge is driven by targeted corporate taxes on a small group of major employers, many of which are tech companies. The top 10 payers of the JumpStart payroll tax contribute to 73% of the tax revenue, according to a report commissioned by the Downtown Seattle Association and the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.