Pennsylvania Invests Millions in Astrobotic Technology
Will Create Nearly 300 Jobs in Advance of Lunar Mission
Pennsylvania state officials, including Governor Josh Shapiro (D) and Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger joined Astrobotic Tuesday at the Moonshot Museum on the North Shore in Pittsburgh to announce the company is expanding in the city. The growing company is renovating a new $20 million facility and plans to create 283 new, high-tech jobs and retain 174 employees.
"We believe Astrobotic’s latest expansion on Reedsale is a clear indicator of new high tech growth in the Commonwealth, particularly in the space industry.”
John Thornton, Astrobotic
Astrobotic has acquired a five-story, 46,000-square-foot vacant building located at 1106 Reedsdale Street in Pittsburgh. The company will invest in extensive renovations of the property and utilize four of the five floors for expansion space beyond its existing headquarters. Astrobotic will lease a portion of the ground floor to the Keystone Space Collaborative for its Keystone Innovation Center. This center will serve as a programmatic and co-working space for Keystone members and house the AFWERX/SpaceWERX Pittsburgh Hub. The new location will be the site of Astrobotic’s new space campus that is helping to make Pittsburgh a regional and national leader in the industry.
“When I visited Astrobotic back in March, I saw the Peregrine lunar lander that was built by this incredible team of engineers and scientists right here in Pittsburgh – and I’m proud that lander is now ready to launch,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “Today, I’m excited to announce that my Administration is investing more than $4 million to support Astrobotic’s work to build a space campus and make Pittsburgh a leader in the growing space industry. My Administration is working hard to help companies like Astrobotic grow and thrive so they can continue to focus on making history – and we’ll continue to invest in their success to ensure the next innovation happens here in Pennsylvania.”
Astrobotic received a funding proposal from the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) for a $1,981,000 Pennsylvania First grant, a Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA) loan of $2.4 million, Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) funding, and private bank financing to support the project. Astrobotic has received offers from other states, including Florida and Texas, to relocate, but has chosen to remain in Pennsylvania.
“Astrobotic’s expansion in Pennsylvania is yet another outstanding example of our growing technology sector,” said Secretary Rick Siger. “Pennsylvania — especially here in the Pittsburgh region ― is known worldwide as a hub of robotics, AI, and other innovative industries, fueled by a workforce that is second to none. The Shapiro Administration is thrilled to support Astrobotic’s growth in the Commonwealth.”
Astrobotic was spun out of Carnegie Mellon University in 2007 by William “Red” Whitaker who is widely regarded as the father of field robotics. The company seeks to make space accessible to the world. The company’s lunar lander, Peregrine, will deliver payloads to the moon for companies, governments, universities, non-profits and individuals.
Astrobotic also develops advanced space robotics capabilities such as terrain relative navigation, mobile robotics for lunar surface operations, and reliable computing systems for mission-critical applications. Astrobotic has contracts with a portfolio of companies, but its primary source of major contracts is through NASA. Currently, Astrobotics is constructing the Peregrine Lunar Lander slated for launch in December 2023 that is poised to carry out the first commercial mission to the Moon and be the first American spacecraft to land on the Moon since the Apollo program.
“We’re deeply grateful to the Governor for his support of Astrobotic’s growth plans. We believe Astrobotic’s latest expansion on Reedsale is a clear indicator of new high tech growth in the Commonwealth, particularly in the space industry,” said John Thornton, Astrobotic CEO. “We’re excited to continue working with Governor Shapiro and Sec. Siger to build on Astrobotic’s progress, and make Pennsylvania a nationally recognized center of space and defense innovation.”
The project was coordinated by the Governor’s Action Team (GAT), an experienced group of economic development professionals who report directly to the Governor and work with businesses that are considering locating or expanding in Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth’s investments in Astrobotic have helped the Pittsburgh-based company create hundreds of new, high-paying jobs that have enabled Pennsylvania to lead America back to the moon.