On Tuesday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro joined Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger and Astrobotic CEO to announce the company’s Pittsburgh expansion.
Astobotic said it will be investing $20 million into renovating a vacant five-story, 46,000 square-foot building and creating a new “space campus” to create jobs, spur innovation and invest in new technologies. The expansion will create 283 new, high-tech jobs while retaining the company’s 174 employees.
“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,” Shapiro said. “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.”
The company said it will renovate the property and then lease one floor of the building to the Keystone Space Collaborative for its Keystone Innovation Center. The center will serve as a working space for Keystone members and become home to the AFWERX/SpaceWERX Pittsburgh Hub, making the city a regional and national leader in the space industry.
“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,” Thornton said. “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 company received nearly $2 million from a Pennsylvania first grant, as well as a $2.4 million loan from the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority, and Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program funding. The company said it has received offers from other states to relocate, but instead chose to remain in Pennsylvania.