NEWS
Keystone Space News
Keystone Space Collaborative to Announce Creation of Space and Defense Innovation District at Annual Conference
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (May 23, 2023) – The Keystone Space Collaborative (Keystone Space) today announced it will unveil a master planning process for the creation of a Space and Defense Innovation District in Pittsburgh at its second annual Space Conference, happening on...
Go For Launch: Activating the Space Economy in the Appalachian Region
PITTSBURGH (March 9, 2023 ) — With support from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), the Keystone Space Collaborative (Keystone Space) has been awarded a $400,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Committee (ARC). The two-year...
Keystone Space Collaborative, Air Force and Astrobotic Announce Partnership, Plans for Space Innovation Center in Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH (December 5, 2022)— National and regional space industry stakeholders gathered on Friday for the launch of the Keystone Space Innovation Center and AFWERX Pittsburgh. This is a pilot program for future innovation opportunities by means of an AFWERX,...
Keystone Space Collaborative and Sierra Space to Advance Space Economy and Support Development of Orbital Reef Commercial Space Station
PITTSBURGH and LOUISVILLE, Colo. (November 10, 2022) – The Keystone Space Collaborative, a nonprofit organization leading the expansion of space industry business and talent in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and Sierra Space, a leading commercial space company...
Keystone Space In the NEWS
Private space stations take shape amid new space exploration era
The Keystone Space Collaborative’s latest effort could be game-changing, as it partners with Sierra Space to construct a private space station.
Governor Shapiro Proposes New Investments in Innovation & STEM Education at Pittsburgh-Based Astrobotic Technology
Today, Governor Josh Shapiro toured Astrobotic Technology, a state-of-the-art aerospace and robotics company in Pittsburgh, to highlight Pennsylvania’s growing innovation economy and his commitment to creating jobs and spurring innovation in our Commonwealth.
Growing a new space economy for our region
One of the first tasks of the Pittsburgh-based Keystone Space Collaborative was commissioning a market report to tally up all the tech companies and organizations from across the region — Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia — which are receiving funds from NASA or space-related grants from the Department of Defense.

Keystone Space Collaborative Partnering Up With United States Air and Space Force
A new partnership between the United States Air and Space Force, and Keystone Space Collaborative is set to take place.
Liftoff: U.S. Space Force Launches National AFWERX Hub In Pittsburgh's North Side
Pittsburgh’s relevance in the broader national space industry is reaching new heights and the U.S. military is responding.
Space Force Opens Pittsburgh Hub to Boost Regional Space and Tech Industries
Nearly four decades after the collapse of the steel industry, the Pittsburgh region has emerged as a growing technology hub in the fields of robotics and life sciences.

Our Region's Business - Keystone Space Collaborative
Pittsburgh’s first-ever space convention kicks off on the North Shore
Participants from across the space industry, including NASA administrator Bill Nelson, gathered in Pittsburgh on April 20 to attend the Keystone Space Collaborative Inaugural Conference and witness the unveiling of the Peregrine Lunar Lander at Astrobotic
Building a space industry in the Steel City
Pittsburgh may soon be known for its space expertise rather than as the city of bridges. Justine Kasznica, Board Chair of the Keystone Space Collaborative believes the region’s strengths in life sciences, robotics and autonomy would complement, rather than compete, space industry clusters in other parts of the country.
Astrobotic unveils hardware from never-before-seen spacecraft in Pittsburgh
History was made at the Keystone Space Collaborative Inaugural Conference as Astrobotic unveiled hardware from the Peregrine Lunar Lander.
Keystone Space Collaborative concludes Inaugural Conference in Pittsburgh as region’s role in future extraterrestrial exploration grows
As Pittsburgh becomes a hub for all things space, the Keystone Space Collaborative continues to work hard toward its initiatives to further define priorities, drive its strategic plan and make space more accessible to those who wish to share an interest in it.
Keystone Space Collaborative Receives $250,000 Grant from Richard King Mellon Foundation
The RKMF grant will be used to fund Keystone Space Collaborative operations and programs, which will include hiring a Program Director, publishing a regional space ecosystem map and industry report, convening a regional space industry council to drive strategy, and more.
Could Pittsburgh be a space tech hub? Three innovators make the case.
Representing Pittsburgh-based space company Astrobotic, Keystone Space Collaborative Board Chair Justine Kasznica spoke on a panel discussion surrounding local technology and accessibility.
A Pittsburgh-built lander is headed to the moon
The first lander headed to the Moon since the Apolllo missions is right here in Pittsburgh. Unveiled at the Keystone Space Inaugural Annual Conference, the Peregrine lander is anticipated to make its journey this fall.
Emerging Tech Law Podcast Series: Keystone Space Collaborative Conference
Jonathan Kersting talks with Board Chair Justine Kasznica about the 2022 Keystone Space Inaugural Annual Conference on the Babst Calland Emerging Tech Law Podcast Series.
Astrobotic lunar lander on track for late 2022 launch
At the 2022 Keystone Space Inaugural Annual Conference, attended by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and other agency officials, Astrobotic showed its Peregrine lander that it plans to send to the Moon on the first United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur launch in late 2022.