U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., wants to make the Pittsburgh region a leader in space, regardless of how her Congressional allies might change after next week’s election.
“I won’t wade into that,” she said at the two-day Keystone Space Collaborative’s annual summit that started Monday in Pittsburgh. “But there’s going to be some new ones, and … I think that is an absolute opportune time to educate, and for me to help you educate, whoever is coming in.”
That turnover “presents a real opportunity to talk about space — the future of space, supply chain of space, the innovation, the research, but also where regions such as this… can play a much larger role,” she said.
Dominance in space is a matter of national security and a pipeline for jobs, Ms. Capito said.
The work begins by inspiring kids in classrooms.
“When I ask a classroom of fifth grade girls how many want to be in space and be a part of the space future, it’s amazing to me the excitement,” she said. “We’ve got their eye.”
Ms. Capito is pushing Congress to approve funding for programming and outreach on space and is looking forward to joining her four granddaughters this decade in watching the first moon landing for a female NASA astronaut. Ms. Capito said she got a personal invite to the Artemis launch from NASA administrator Bill Nelson.
Three years ago, Mr. Nelson and Ms. Capito headlined the first Keystone Space Collaborative summit in Pittsburgh as the city’s leading aerospace startup unveiled a lander destined for the moon. North Side-based Astrobotic’s first brush with history ended in January, and its next mission took a massive hit in July when NASA killed the rover that was its primary payload.
At the summit this week, however, optimism for the future remained strong.
Ms. Capito said Astrobotic learned lessons from its first mission, while a panel of directors from some of NASA’s top centers discussed ways for the Tri-State region of Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia to be more engaged.
Astrobotic Chief Executive John Thornton said his company is now chasing solar power for the moon, as well as delivery rockets for Earth, as it continues to plan for the next lunar mission even without NASA’s rover. “We’re not done yet,” he said.
A regional space identity
On Tuesday, the Keystone Space Collaborative announced a new pitch competition funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development that will provide two $50,000 awards and four $25,000 awards to businesses, college groups and individuals who live in the commonwealth.
Participants in the Keystone Space Innovation Challenge can refine their ideas for either commercial space technology or in-space research and development with “expert coaches” in preparation for a final pitch competition in February. The group hopes to expand the model to Ohio and West Virginia in future years.
The announcement comes as the collaborative, founded in 2021 by Pittsburgh tech lawyer Justine Kasznica, tries to funnel the past three years of advocacy into a more formal growth strategy.
“We’re starting to coalesce around a regional identity that will become a fundamental part of our strategy,” Ms. Kasznica said.
With only a handful of full-time employees, the nonprofit already has support from NASA, Congress and state leaders like Pa. Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, who said it takes teamwork and perseverance across all levels of government to support emerging technologies.
Mr. Davis remembered jinxing a group of students earlier this year by asking what would happen if their model rocket got stuck in a tree. The vessel indeed became stuck, but the group from Spring Grove later rallied to win second place at a national competition.
“We have young people right here in Pennsylvania that are some of the brightest minds in America,” Mr. Davis said, adding that 13,000 jobs in the commonwealth are already tied to the aerospace industry.
U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Aspinwall, closed the first day by describing the space sector as a key area of competition with China. “I don’t think we should let adversaries like China and Russia control any part of the space domain,” he said.
NASA and the Chinese government both have plans for permanent settlements on the moon, with the idea that bases could enable further exploration of Mars.
As participants asked about the role Pennsylvania and the surrounding states might play in that future, many of the speakers returned to the region’s manufacturing and industrial history. Ms. Kasznica said this region can build the metaphorical shovels and pickaxes of the lunar gold rush.
Companies like Westinghouse are developing nuclear microreactors that could provide power on the moon, while Astrobotic is pursuing a solar power solution. Others are focused on cooling, software and other components, furnishing a supply chain that has already contributed to key missions like NASA’s first Artemis trip in 2022.
Plans are already underway to build semiconductors in orbit, establishing an entirely different kind of supply chain that routes through space, said Cynthia Bouthot, a consultant advising the innovation challenge.
Space becomes increasingly accessible
The global space economy is forecast to grow to $1.8 trillion by 2035, according to an April analysis by World Economic Forum and McKinsey & Company. Keystone’s priority is making sure that some of that is rooted in former steel and coal towns.
“There’s been a surge of investment into space tech over the last six years — north of $200 billion — and I would say the primary contributing factor is that there’s a realization amongst investors that there is real commercial viability here,” said Ven Raju, chief executive of Innovation Works, a partner of the new innovation challenge.
Ms. Kasznica acknowledged that Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia are best known for collaborating on the football field, but said teamwork in space can turn “backyard brawls into backyard barbecues.”
She highlighted a recent report from commercial real estate firm CBRE that found more than 1,000 industrial sites in the Tri-State region primed for research and development that could support the space sector. CBRE vice president Michael Stuart said it’s also cheaper to build here — as much as 19% less expensive compared to other tech regions.
The findings could be relevant for one business in particular — SpaceX — after CEO Elon Musk this month discussed a potential investment in Pittsburgh with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. “We hope that comes to fruition,” Mr. Stuart said.
Blue Origin, the rocket company run by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is also looking to expand its presence in the region, according to senior director Jacqueline Cortese.
“Nothing that we do at Blue Origin is done without the people and the businesses of this area,” she said. “I’m so happy to see so many of our partners here, and I’m really excited to expand our presence in this important region.”
Lockheed Martin, which has a major facility outside Philadelphia where it builds satellites and spacecraft, also sent a few representatives to the summit, including technology acceleration director and former NASA astronaut Robert Behnken.
Mr. Behnken contrasted his own experience flying to the International Space Station with upcoming private sector demonstrations. While space is becoming increasingly accessible for human explorers, he said he’s personally comfortable staying on Earth with his 10-year-old son.
Ms. Kasznica acknowledged it will take more than just vision to propel the Pittsburgh region to national significance. “We are clearly underdogs in an increasingly competitive race,” she said.
First Published: October 29, 2024, 11:27 p.m.
Updated: October 30, 2024, 5:38 p.m.
