Growing Space Robotics Firm to Relocate Pittsburgh HQ
Astrobotic’s new headquarters is poised to become the epicenter for America’s return to the Moon and will be the primary hub for lunar logistics in the United States, the company reports.
PITTSBURGH—Growing space robotics company Astrobotic Technology, Inc. has announced it will build a new state-of-the art headquarters for lunar logistics here.
The company, which began operations at Carnegie Mellon University, will open the new facility in May 2020. The new 47,000-square-foot facility will house the company’s spacecraft integration cleanrooms, test facilities, lab spaces, rover test labs, payload operations room, and dedicated mission control. Astrobotic’s new headquarters is poised to become the epicenter for America’s return to the Moon and will be the primary hub for lunar logistics in the United States, the company reports.
As part of Astrobotic’s relocation efforts, the company will acquire and renovate a building in Pittsburgh’s North Side neighborhood.
“This new facility marks the next phase of Astrobotic’s growth and will be the primary hub for lunar logistics in the United States. Our headquarters will be used to design, build, and test lunar landers and rovers all under one roof, and then operate those vehicles from our own mission control right here in Pittsburgh,” says Astrobotic CEO John Thornton.
The facility will feature 15,000 square feet of cleanroom and lab space that can support up to 4 lunar lander missions simultaneously. Within the lab space, there will be environmental test facilities designed to simulate lunar and launch vehicle environments for mission hardware operations, a machine shop for parts manufacturing, a fluids lab for propulsion testing, and a high-power lab for battery assembly and testing.
In addition to these lander mission development capabilities, the new facility will feature a space mobility and lunar simulant lab, where mobile rovers can test drive in synthetic lunar regolith.
Astrobotic received a funding proposal from the Department of Community and Economic Development for the project including $285,000 in Job Creation Tax Credits. The company has committed to investing $6.55 million in the project, and the tax credits will be distributed upon the creation of 95 new jobs.
The company is currently headquartered at 912 Fort Duquesne Blvd. in Pittsburgh. The new headquarters will be a short walk from the Carnegie Science Center and Heinz Field and will host Astrobotic’s growing workforce, which has tripled in the last four months.