Astrobotic expansion could spur creation of 'space district' in Pittsburgh, officials say

Pittsburgh’s leading space company said Tuesday it plans to move some of its operations into a $20 million office building on the North Side and more than double its workforce.

Astrobotic, a Manchester-­based company that builds equipment to send to the moon, said it has bought a five-story building on Reedsdale Street and will expand its offices and labs there.

The company’s CEO, John Thornton, said Astrobotic wants to lead the growth of a potential “space district” in the area of the Allegheny light-rail station on the North Shore.

“It’s right at the end of the T (light-rail line), and it’s a huge opportunity to build up that last stop and to connect the Manchester community to Downtown,” Thornton said. “Our goal for this ‘space district’ here in the North Side is to have multiple businesses in the region … so we can best compete with the best and brightest around the country.”

Astrobotic will fill the top four floors of the 46,000-square-foot building on Reedsdale Street. The bottom floor will house a cafe and become the permanent home of a joint innovation hub run by the Air Force and Space Force, Thornton said.

Thornton said the building had been vacant for years. He expects the Astrobotic rehab to be completed in the spring or summer of 2025.

Thornton said the company intends to hire 283 workers as part of the expansion. Astrobotic has a local workforce of 213 people and an overall workforce of 250, according to Thornton. Headquarters will remain in Manchester after the expansion.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro attended a news conference related to the expansion Tuesday. He said the state invested $4 million to support Astrobotic’s growth. He praised the company for its growth and its upcoming mission to the moon.

Astrobotic, founded in 2007, will launch its Peregrine lunar lander on Dec. 24 from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. It will be the company’s first launch.

NASA awarded $79.5 million to Astrobotic to deliver scientific payloads to the northern part of the moon on behalf of the space agency. The company plans to complete another lunar mission in 2024.

“They are not just putting Western Pennsylvania on the map; they are putting it on the moon,” Shapiro said.

He said the state investment has paid off, given Astrobotic’s growth and accomplishments. He added that the company’s investment should be viewed as a sign of more investment to come in the area and something that can benefit large portions of the city.

“We are hoping to lift up an entire community,” Shapiro said. “The connection to the Carnegie Science Center, the proximity to the community college — the neighborhood is going to be more engaged in what is going on there.”

Thornton said the area around Astrobotic’s new building is a “sea of parking lots” and is ripe for development. He hopes other space-related companies or manufacturers will see Astrobotic’s investment as a call to expand on the North Shore.

The Air Force/Space Force hub that will relocate to the North Shore from its temporary location at nearby Nova Place is meant to help funnel a portion of roughly $1 billion in available U.S. military funding to regional companies working in space fields.

“I anticipate a lot of growth for the Department of Defense,” Thornton said. “It has been 50 years since we have gone back to the moon, and it is an opportunity for a new business like us and for a new space state to rise — and that is where Pennsylvania is particularly well suited for it.”

Allegheny County Executive-elect Sara Innamorato said the state and region’s partnership with Astrobotic and other space and robotic companies is critical for future job growth. She praised U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, for recently securing $35 million for Astrobotic from NASA.

“This sets an excellent precedent to maximize public investment in the private sector to create jobs, accelerate innovation and build on the collective community vision,” Innamorato said. “There is an incredible potential for public return on this investment. With this partnership, we are effectively building up an entire space economy and its related supply chain.”