Why Pa. and neighbors want in on the space race
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The space industry is ready to take off, and partners representing Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia want in on the action.
Why it matters: The private sector space industry is attracting billions in investment, so regions across the nation are competing to become the next hub of innovation, manufacturing and investment.
Driving the news: Keystone Space Collaborative convened leaders in the space industry, government officials and business groups at its annual conference in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
What they're saying: The tri-state region is primed to compete with more well-known space powerhouses like Texas, Florida and Huntsville, Alabama, said Kate Rubins, a retired NASA astronaut who was appointed Pitt's Trivedi Institute for Space and Global Biomedicine director earlier this year.
- "The demand and opportunity for Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia is already here," said NASA administrator Jared Isaacman. "You know hardware, you know software, and there is no need to wait for somebody in Washington to declare this as a space corridor because you already possess the strength required for missions NASA has been entrusted to achieve."
Zoom in: Pittsburgh's Astrobotic was acquired by Voyager Technologies in July, and now operates out of the North Side as Voyager Lunar Systems. The company was awarded nearly $300 million to carry out lunar lander missions.
- Cleveland's NASA Glenn Research Center acts as one of the collaborative's research bases.
- The collaborative is also using research universities like Carnegie Mellon, Penn State, Ohio State and West Virginia University for assistance.
- Keystone Space recently partnered with statewide chambers of commerce in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia to boost investment.
By the numbers: The tri-state region has 1,124 space industry firms that have attracted more than $9.5 billion in federal contracts from 2022 to 2026, according to Keystone Space.
Between the lines: Keystone Space Collaborative founder and board chair Justine Kasznica said the region's strength lies in its supply chain with core companies manufacturing space systems, which are supported by research, robotics, engineering and software operations, according to the collaborative.
What we're watching: Kasznica said Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia submitted bids to be the home of the United States Space Academy, a proposed NASA-led academy to "develop a professional corps of civically grounded leaders prepared to advance American interests within the space domain," according to a letter signed by President Trump.
- Kasznica said landing Space Academy would be "a transformational opportunity for our workforce," but acknowledged it's highly competitive.
- Several other states have also submitted bids.
What's next: Voyager Lunar Systems is set to launch Griffin Mission One — carrying payloads to NASA's moon base — no earlier than November.