This year, the United States is poised to return to the moon when Astrobotic’s Peregrine spacecraft touches down on the lunar surface, guided by mission control in Pittsburgh. So it is perhaps fitting that Astrobotic — Pittsburgh’s premier space robotics company — also will serve as the setting for the Moonshot Museum, which focuses on career and community readiness for the 21st-century space industry.
A wall of windows in the museum will offer a view of Astrobotic’s clean room workshop, where spacecraft are assembled. Visitors also may view lunar landers, rovers and scientific instruments destined for the moon.
Designed with middle- and high-school audiences in mind, the museum is meant to serve as a living laboratory and will include simulated lunar missions with tasks that include problems based on real industry challenges.
The museum is scheduled to open in the fall of 2022 and plans to collaborate with industry partners in space, technology and education to nurture interest in space as well as map out clear pathways and career opportunities for those interested in being a part of the space industry in Pittsburgh.
Apollo Neuroscience, whose wearable device uses inaudible sound waves intended to alleviate stress and improve sleep, has announced the close on its $15 million Series A funding round, Pittsburgh Inno reported. The company said its valuation is now more than $100 million and its total funding is $21.4 million.
The company, which spun out of the University of Pittsburgh in 2014, employed 10 people when it first launched its device in January 2020. By 2021, it employed 20, and by the start of 2022, its headcount doubled again to 40.
The devices retail at $349, and Apollo co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Kathryn Fantauzzi reports that the company has shipped tens of thousands of units to date.
“We are the hottest place on the planet right now for talent in the autonomous vehicle space as well as advanced materials. Advanced materials are what makes the world go round … in the automotive space, whether it’s sensors or the ultra-high-strength steel that makes EVs lightweight and safe at the same time – all that’s being developed right here in Pittsburgh.”
Brian Kennedy, senior vice president of operations and government affairs, Pittsburgh Technology Council
