A nonprofit organization looking to attract and grow the tri-state region's space-based economy is preparing to launch a dedicated Space and Defense Innovation District in Pittsburgh.
The district will be formed in Pittsburgh's North Side neighborhood and will encompass the headquarters of Astrobotic Technology Inc., a lunar robotics company that's preparing to send its maiden Peregrine Lunar Lander to the surface of the moon sometime this summer.
These plans and additional details about them will be announced by the Keystone Space Collaborative (KSC) during its second annual Space Conference, which is taking place on June 1 and June 2 at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Hotel at Station Square. Stakeholders from NASA, the U.S. Department of Defense, members of Congress and state elected officials are expected to speak during this event, among others.
"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," Justine Kasznica, KSC board chair, said in a prepared statement. "Pittsburgh and the surrounding region are now being included in the national conversation about space – something we’ve been working hard to achieve."
An established Space and Defense Innovation District in Pittsburgh will build on the city's growing beyond-Earth-based economy and Kasznica outlined how local businesses can join those efforts just last week during a conversation with members of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development.
This district will also build on the KSC's partnership with the AFWERX Hub in Pittsburgh, which opened last December as part of an effort from the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force that aims to partner innovative technology developers with military personnel.
