Writer: Ryan Gandolfo
2 min read June 2023 – Pittsburgh is doubling down on one of the fastest growing industries, with Keystone Space Collaborative’s recent announcement to build a Space and Innovation District in North Shore. The eight-acre site is owned by the Carnegie Science Center and nearby Astrobotic’s headquarters.
Keystone Space, which is committed to attracting space industry businesses and talent to Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, developed a partnership with the U.S. Air Force in 2022 to create the Keystone Space Innovation Center and AFWERX Pittsburgh. It will anchor the development of the space district.
“We are at a pivotal moment in the tri-state’s space journey. Attracting support from NASA and the national defense community shows that we are being looked at as a serious player in fueling the country’s space missions and priorities,” said Justine Kasznica, Keystone Space board chair in a press release. “Pittsburgh and the surrounding region are now being included in the national conversation about space – something we’ve been working hard to achieve.”
In 2022, the global space economy was valued at $464 billion, growing 8% in a year marked by geopolitical tensions and challenges related to inflation and supply chains. According to global consulting firm Euroconsult, 83% of the sector’s value is comprised of space-based end-user applications (telecommunications, satellite navigation, etc.). However, the core space sector, which creates or owns space assets, is estimated to grow to $100 billion by 2031.
Pittsburgh’s contributions to the space economy date back more than half a century during the Space Race, as companies like Alcoa and Westinghouse produced components to help astronauts land on the Moon and capture images of the lunar surface. Fast forward to today, and the focus will be expanding the space tech sector’s physical footprint to attract other companies and talent to Southwest PA.
READ MORE: Pittsburgh’s greatest contributions to the space industry are yet to come
“It’s not just engineers and Ph.D. students from top-tier research universities,” Kasznica said, as cited by Technical.ly. “We actually have a tremendous need for machinists and welders and mechanics and engineers, and folks that really need to know this space and defense innovations have is largely a hardware-driven industry and you actually need physical labor to help get this off the ground.”
While Pittsburgh experienced an autonomous vehicle tech boom over the last decade with sustained investment that’s since cooled due to a higher interest rate environment and market challenges, space tech could be the city’s next big iteration. NASA has allocated $320.4 million to Astrobotic to deliver its VIPER Rover, which is scheduled to arrive to the Moon in 2024 after a one-year delay. The rover is meant to assess the availability of water for human missions, Space.com reported.
At the state level, the Shapiro administration rolled out new investments and incentives to boost the region’s aerospace sector, including a $200,000 award to Keystone Space for the pilot Keystone Space Innovation Challenge program. The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) also expanded the Greater Oakland Keystone Innovation Zone (GOKIZ) for eligible tech startups to receive up to $100,000 in annual tax credits.
“The Commonwealth’s diverse space ecosystem is rooted in a legacy of innovation and is supported by a highly educated workforce and world-class research institutions. We look forward to building on Pennsylvania’s success, and ensuring our companies continue to lead the way in this dynamic sector,” said DCED Secretary Rick Siger in a statement.
Image via Astrobotic
For more information, please visit:
https://pittsburghpa.gov/
https://keystonespace.org/
https://www.astrobotic.com/
https://dced.pa.gov/
