Astrobotic to expand Pittsburgh campus

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger joined Astrobotic at the Moonshot Museum to announce the company is expanding in the City of Pittsburgh. The growing company is investing $20 million renovating a facility and plans to create 283 new, high-tech jobs and retain 174 employees.

Astrobotic has acquired a five-story, 46,000ft² vacant building in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to create a space campus to create jobs, spur innovation, and invest in new technologies. The company will invest in extensive renovations of the property and use 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.

This news comes on the heels of Astrobotic’s long-awaited launch date of its Peregrine lunar lander. On Dec. 24, 2023, Astrobotic’s Peregrine is scheduled to travel to the moon from Cape Canaveral via United Launch Alliance (ULA)’s Vulcan rocket. This feat represents a milestone for the U.S. – the first time the U.S. has been to the moon since the Apollo era – and a moonshot for Pittsburgh. Peregrine will deliver payloads to the moon for companies, governments, universities, non-profits, and individuals.

Since January, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has facilitated more than $1 billion in new private sector investment in Pennsylvania – and this latest investment positions the Commonwealth to be a leader in innovation and economic development.

“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,” Gov. Shapiro said. “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.

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.

“We’re deeply grateful to the governor for his support of Astrobotic’s growth plans. We believe Astrobotic’s latest expansion 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 Gov. 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.