With the world’s renewed interest in space exploration, the Pittsburgh region stands ready to launch. The new space race presents tremendous opportunities in Pittsburgh — a region that’s a powerhouse of tech and innovation; advanced manufacturing, materials and engineering expertise; and global robotics and autonomous mobile systems leadership.
This combination of assets, strengths and connectivity sets Pittsburgh apart from traditional U.S. space capitals and solidifies the region’s position in the global space economy. The region is a hub for space-relevant industries. This includes developers of advanced technology, parts and component manufacturers and new and established companies. Here in Pittsburgh, all can contribute to a commercial space industry in growth mode — one estimated to be nearly $1.8 trillion globally.
“When you think about starting a space company, you think Florida, Texas or California. But Astrobotic thought about Pittsburgh. We started, scaled and are succeeding — here.
We are the next generation of the tech economy, and the opportunities here are limitless.”
CEO, ASTROBOTIC TECHNOLOGY
R&D ECOSYSTEM
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute in the School of Computer Science conducts basic and applied research in robotics technologies. It also covers tech manipulation, locomotion and control, machine learning and computer vision. In addition, CMU created a payload aboard Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander called IRIS.
University of Pittsburgh
At the university’s McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, teams are testing and commercializing medical breakthroughs through microgravity research in orbit. Innovation in regenerative medicine and an exponential advancement in space technologies enable new opportunities to access and commercialize space activities, including space tourism. These have the potential to propel life-saving advances on Earth.
Penn State University
Approximately two hours from Pittsburgh, Penn State is part of the greater region’s portfolio of renowned academic institutions. The university’s Applied Research Laboratory conducts essential space-based R&D in materials, propulsion and combustion power.
West Virginia University
West Virginia University’s Space Systems Operations Research Laboratory is advancing the field of space systems operations research through the development of innovative mathematical modeling techniques and optimization methods. These methods tackle complex decision-making problems that arise during a space system’s life cycle. The Keystone Space Collaborative supports the tri-state region, which includes West Virginia and Ohio.
PITTSBURGH’S SPACE TALENT
180K+
total employment that supports or could support space and space-relevant industries
15K+
engineers
48K+
business operations specialists
15K+
metal and plastic workers
30K+
individuals working in computer occupations
21% higher than the national average
concentration of engineers
25% higher than the national average
concentration of metal and plastic workers
Source: Lightcast, 2024
SPACE Flight & Exploration Ecosystem
Astrobotic
The region’s premier space robotics company spun out of Carnegie Mellon University and is now headquartered in Pittsburgh’s emerging outer space and defense innovation district. The company’s Griffin lunar lander was selected to deliver NASA’s water-hunting VIPER rover to the lunar south pole near the end of 2024.
Astrobotic is also now developing LunaGrid, a commercial power service designed for the lunar south pole with sustainability in mind. In addition, they are part of the prestigious Blue Origin National Team, along with other private providers like Lockheed Martin, Draper, Boeing and Honeybee Robotics.
Keystone Space Collaborative
The Keystone Space Collaborative, anchored in the Pittsburgh region, supports and serves the growing space market in the tri-state region of Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. Its goal is to make commercial space exploration opportunities accessible for every business that wants to succeed in this rapidly growing industry. Members of the collaborative come from both the public and private sectors, including businesses, research institutions, government agencies and stakeholders in the space and defense innovation ecosystem.
Creating a Dedicated Space and Defense Innovation District
Creating a central location for development, an eight-acre space and defense innovation district will combine space and science innovation and entertainment/retail in one place. The district’s Keystone Innovation Zone designation provides tax credits that incentivize place-based R&D, technology commercialization and entrepreneurship. This makes it an attractive place for start-ups and the top aerospace companies in the USA to locate. Anchor space company Astrobotic is a core tenant of the district and is joined by other key Pittsburgh region companies and organizations serving the aerospace industry, including:
Keystone Space Innovation Center
The AFWERX Hub also houses the Keystone Space Innovation Center, run by the Pittsburgh-based and tri-state-focused Keystone Space Collaborative. The initiative facilitates partnerships among entrepreneurs, startups and established companies to develop new innovations and accelerate America’s leadership in the space sector.
Moonshot Museum
Co-located with Astrobotic, the Moonshot Museum is Pennsylvania’s only all-space museum and offers behind-the-scenes access to the space industry. Through its exhibits and programming, the museum is increasing STEM education enthusiasm and the accessibility and equity of space careers for the workforce of tomorrow.
SPACE SECTOR COLLABORATORS
Agile Space Industries
Agile Space Industries is a producer of high-performance, mission-optimized chemical-propulsion rocket thrusters. With the acquisition of Pittsburgh-based Tronix3D in 2021, the company established Agile Additive. This subsidiary enables accelerating speed and quality across the aerospace supply chain while developing proprietary innovations around metal 3D printing. Agile is also optimizing the performance of its propulsion systems powering NASA and SpaceX’s upcoming space missions.
ANSYS
A multinational engineering simulation company headquartered in the Pittsburgh region, ANSYS and its simulation solutions are helping Astrobotic make a leap of certainty in lunar lander and launch vehicle design. Simulation is essential to understanding the environment of space and how its stresses impact Astrobotic’s lunar landers and other structures.
Bosch
Bosch in North America and Astrobotic partnered on the space launch of SoundSee to the International Space Station (ISS). Part of a research collaboration with NASA, the lunchbox-sized SoundSee module assists astronauts by free flying through the space station and using fully autonomous sensing capabilities to gauge ISS performance and predict needed maintenance.
Westinghouse Electric Company
Westinghouse and Astrobotic are collaborating on developing space nuclear technology and delivery systems for NASA and the Department of Defense. Westinghouse is also developing a scaled-down version of the 5-MWe eVinci™ microreactor to power spacecraft in orbit or for deployment on the surface of planetary bodies such as the Moon or Mars, providing continuous power for space research and other applications.
