CATALYZING ARIZONA’S SPACE ECONOMY: IMPACT REPORT FROM THE 2024 SUMMIT
PHOTO DATE: 2019-04
LOCATION: Giant Magellan Telescope
PHOTOGRAPHER: Damien Jemison
CREDIT: GMTO Corporation
University of Arizona Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab staff members Damon Jackson (left) and Conrad Vogel (right) in the foreground looking up at the back of primary mirror segment five in April 2019.
This second annual Arizona Space Summit report represents our continued collective effort to chart the future of space in Arizona. This report further recognizes and celebrates the momentum gathered from the 2023 summit and identifies opportunities upon which to build.
We extend our sincerest gratitude to all participants, our host, Professor Jim Bell, and the speakers and sponsors who contributed to the 2024 summit’s success. Thank you to the organizing committee members for crafting a strategic agenda that will inform Arizona’s space sector roadmap for growth.
We are grateful for the growing community of innovators, visionaries and leaders who are advancing Arizona’s space activities toward peace and prosperity.
For further information and to join the community visit azspacesummit.com
Space Arizona
Organizing Committee Members:
Brett Mecum Cadmus Public Affairs
Chase Kassel
Arizona State University
David Trilling
Northern Arizona University
Eric Miller PADT
Greg Autry Thunderbird School of Global Management
James Crowell Crow Industries
Jeremiah Pate
Lunasonde
Jessica Rousset
Arizona State University
Katherine McConachie
Arizona State University
Scott Smas
Arizona State University
Stephen Fleming University of Arizona
Steven Zylstra
Arizona Technology Council
Taryn Struck
Arizona State University
Thomas Maynard
Greater Phoenix Economic Council
Partners:
Arizona Commerce Authority
Arizona State University University of Arizona
Northern Arizona University
Arizona Technology Council
Greater Phoenix Economic Council
Sponsors:
Arizona State University
Arizona Commerce Authority
Willmeng
Honeywell
AZ1 Ventures Inc.
Honeybee Robotics
MJS Designs PADT
Greater Yuma Economic Development Corporation
Pima County Office of Economic Development
Report Authors:
Jessica Rousset
Arizona State University
Chase Kassel
Arizona State University
Karyn MacVean
Arizona Commerce Authority
Scott Smas
Arizona State University
Summit Photographers: Charlie Leight
Arizona State University
Shireen Dooling
Arizona State University
Last year’s inaugural 2023 Arizona Space Summit marked Arizona’s readiness to assume an even greater role in the global new space economy. The first summit report identified strategies for the state to become a stronger global player, laying out four recommendations. This year, we are pleased to report tangible advancements across each recommendation.
1. Community and Culture: The second Arizona Space Summit , organized by partners across the state, engaged over 200 attendees over two days. This year, the summit welcomed Governor Katie Hobbs who delivered a keynote highlighting Arizona’s robust infrastructure and strategic workforce initiatives, including workforce accelerators and the BuilditAZ Apprenticeship Initiative to support high-tech fields and skilled trades.
2. A Research and Development Hub for LEO:
Announced during the investor panel at this year’s summit, Arizona is now one of four national hubs offering a novel space accelerator program, Space-Edge (space-edge.org). The program, administered by ASU and launching fall 2024, will help Arizona-based innovators accelerate research and
development activities by leveraging the space economy and access to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The inaugural program will serve the biomedical industry with plans to expand to advanced manufacturing and other adjacent industries in future cohorts.
3. Integrating Space into the Broader Economy:
Building on its substantial aerospace and defense manufacturing base, which includes over 1,250 supply chain contributors and leveraging its existing capabilities in advanced materials and technology, Arizona is implementing strategies to support long-term sustainability of the space economy. This includes fostering programs and partnerships that support commercial activities in LEO and resource utilization that will benefit both terrestrial and off-world markets.
“Our opportunities are boundless just like space. Today we are number one in the nation for the concentration of guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing.” Governor Katie Hobbs
The Northrop Grumman Antares rocket, with Cygnus resupply spacecraft on board, launches from Pad-0A at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
PHOTO DATE: 2018-17-11
LOCATION: Wallops Island, Virginia
PHOTOGRAPHER: J oel Kowsky
CREDIT: NASA
“The Commercial Space Age is here. And it’s not just about government contracts or scientific exploration. It’s about creating a market that serves space-bound customers and supports an economy both in space and for space.”
Vic Narusis, (former) Executive Vice President of Business Development, Arizona Commerce Authority
4. Governance: Consistent with the report’s final recommendation, the Arizona State Legislature passed House Bill 2254 reauthorizing the Arizona Space Commission. Sponsored by Representative Justin Wilmeth and signed into law by Governor Hobbs, this second iteration of the Commission will bring together thought leaders in commercial aerospace, civil aviation, military aerospace, space economic development, spacerelated academic research, nonprofit space economy support, real estate, and finance as well as the inclusion of early-stage venture leadership participation to inform the State on opportunities to enhance the integration of space industries in the state of Arizona.
Building upon this momentum, the second Arizona Space Summit framed conversations to Arizona’s strengths while addressing key challenges facing the space industry: sustainability of a skilled workforce, access to capital, scalability of R&D and manufacturing in space, and how to create a market for space resources. The summit was also an opportunity to learn from other space hubs and inform Arizona’s roadmap.
We hope the insights and recommendations provided in this second summit report will contribute to Arizona’s continued growth and differentiation as a space hub.
“Communities buy into what they’re working on. From a national level, mandating that a center gets placed somewhere or that work gets done in one location doesn’t necessarily mean that the most innovative thinking or the greatest leaps are going to happen from that location.”
Eric Sundby, CEO, Terraspace
Key Insights
Arizona is seeking to learn from the successes of other states and countries that have established thriving space hubs to bolster its own space ambitions. Drawing insights from New Mexico, Colorado, Texas and Luxembourg, Arizona aims to adapt strategies that have proven effective elsewhere to inform its own strategy leveraging the state’s unique assets and history.
Successful strategies include:
» Affordable cost of living
» Accessibility to legislators and regulators
» A collaborative culture that works across political party lines and champions for aerospace in economic development agencies
» Keeping taxes low
» A legal framework that supports ecosystem growth with clear, streamlined and nimble regulations
» Creating a physical nexus for academia, industry and start-ups
» A topical focus (e.g. space resources)
» Local coordination that helps companies tap the state’s resources and offers an easy point-of-entry
» Access to a strong workforce pipeline
Barriers to avoid include:
» A top-down approach without community buy-in and coordination
» Overly burdensome regulatory environment
Takeaways for Arizona A
“Whole-of-State” Approach
Arizona is a hub of both legacy and entrepreneurial activity in the aerospace industry with notable institutions spread across the state.
In the northern part of the state, there are great institutions such as Lowell Observatory and Northern Arizona University.
The greater Phoenix region hosts Arizona State University and major aerospace companies like Virgin Galactic, Lockheed Martin, Honeywell, and Moog, as well as Luke Air Force Base.
Southern Arizona features the Barry M. Goldwater Range, the University of Arizona, Paragon Space, Phantom Space, and Biosphere 2, along with developing spaceport projects in Yuma and Sierra Vista.
This diverse mix of public, private, and academic institutions positions Arizona as one of the few states capable of fostering a self-sustaining ecosystem of innovation and growth in the aerospace sector, rivaling the clusters in California and Boston.
» Develop a statewide space strategy that fosters innovation and a business-friendly environment.
» Promote a unified “Arizona team” to support business development across the state.
» Identify all the space-related assets in Arizona and ensure they are connected and coordinated.
» Focus the space commission on educating elected officials, rather than paying financial incentives to businesses.
» Ensure that the space commission includes representation from across the state.
“If you can find a way to treat space as a whole-of-state approach, the various geographic centers are close enough together that you can look like a much bigger state in the aggregate.”
Jeff Greason, Chief Technologist, Electric Sky and Chairman, Tau Zero Foundation
NASA astronauts Kate Rubins, left, and Andre Douglas look at a map that shows their traverse route during a nighttime simulated moonwalk in the San Francisco Volcanic Field in Northern Arizona on May 16, 2024.
PHOTO DATE: 2024-16-05
LOCATION: Flagstaff, Arizona
PHOTOGRAPHER: Josh Valcarcel
CREDIT: NASA/Johnson Space Center
“For all of this to work, everything has to change— the new companies that you’re forming, the new divisions that you’re forming in established companies, the new trajectories for the established companies, the new initiatives, the new projects, the new things, the new missions, all these things. If we don’t also have new universities, we won’t make it.”
Michael Crow, President, Arizona State University
Trends
Arizona is poised to play a pivotal role in supporting the growing space sector’s need for a highly qualified workforce. Historically, the state’s educational institutions have undergone a significant transformation, exemplified by Arizona State University’s dramatic shift from a weed-out culture with 6,000 engineering students to an inclusive environment now nurturing 32,000 engineering students, including a significant increase in minority and female students. This inclusive and expansive approach to education is crucial for meeting the space sector’s demand for interdisciplinary, hands-on engineering talent.
The most disruptive space companies are looking for graduates that have hands-on experience working across disciplines along with their university degrees.
» Forward-thinking companies begin recruiting students on their first day, not waiting until their last year.
» Majors in high demand include aerospace,
mechanical and electrical engineering, and computer science with embedded software experience.
» Those trained in interdisciplinary work will be in high demand. For example, the field of space health requires experts trained to work with biologists, molecular biologists, microbiologists, physiologists, medical doctors, and chemists.
» Employers seeking to accelerate innovation are looking for mindsets that challenge the status quo—that understand and then question requirements based on mission goals.
“We’ve really gotta think deeply about access and how we can put programs in place that help students succeed, especially the ones that start off not as privileged as others.”
Mark Van Dyke, Associate Dean of Research, the University of Arizona
“Large scale federal proposals and initiatives now have sizable workforce and community components. Conversations around university partnerships are very different than they were even just a few years ago. So if you haven’t had a conversation with a university about workforce development and community engagement, now is the time.”
New models for university/industry workforce partnerships are needed to address the pipeline crisis.
» Employers aren’t investing in training, including upskilling their employees, meaning they aren’t accumulating the knowledge necessary for sustainable training within their companies.
» With increasing federal funding for workforce development for U.S. citizens, universities are partnering with industry in new ways. They secure funding, and industry participates innovatively in their programs, including through co-location.
Kyle Squires, Senior Vice Provost, Dean and Professor, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University
Takeaways for Arizona A Specialized Workforce
Program that Scales
Most programs are not responsive at the scale needed to address workforce demands in the space sector. Arizona is launching and scaling forward-thinking programs that build the skills and diversity that the space sector needs.
Arizona’s universities and technical schools can scale their impact with comprehensive engagement programs with aerospace companies. They can:
» Create more custom and longer-duration internships, leveraging online and ondemand learning
» Integrate space companies’ unique capabilities into universities for teaching, research, and learning
» Engage space companies in university
curricula and excite students about applying their training throughout their degree programs
» Develop pilot training programs with space employers, leveraging universities’ infrastructure and credentialing and tapping into federal dollars earmarked for workforce development
» Collaborate to create new credentialing pathways that augment college degrees by delivering bite-sized, skills-focused, and practical content
» Coordinate efforts among Arizona academia to leverage their collective programs more effectively for greater outcomes
Arizona is home to innovative training programs such as the Future48 Workforce Accelerators. The Future48 Workforce Accelerators, housed under the Arizona Commerce Authority, connect students with the skills and know-how needed for jobs in the state’s growing advanced manufacturing industry.
The Yuma Future48 Workforce Accelerator, launched in partnership with Arizona Western College, will offer workforce training in electrical technology, advanced manufacturing, broadband fiber optics and solar installation in support of the region’s aerospace and defense industries.
The partnership will include a 5,600-square-foot expansion of the Wellton Manufacturing Training Center on the Arizona Western College campus. Industry partners will include TRAX International, the United States Army Yuma Proving Ground, the General Motor Proving Grounds, the Gowan Company, Allo Fiber, D&H Electric, Sunray Electric, Yuma Electric and more. The project is expected to be completed in 2024.
An Evolving Landscape
The space landscape in the United States has transformed dramatically over the past two decades. The government has transitioned from commonly being the creator of rockets and satellites to more often being a strategic partner and customer for a diverse array of commercial space companies, from legacy aerospace to new space startups. This shift has fostered an environment where innovation and competition thrive, paving the way for exploration and business opportunities.
As Arizona positions itself at the forefront of this revolution in space activities, it is essential to navigate through the challenges and opportunities that come with this transition.
The United States government is the largest investor in the $546B global space economy, followed by Europe and China. Beyond investment, the U.S. government serves as the main customer, regulator, and validator of space products and services.
While the U.S. government continues to play a role as an end user in the space industry, there has been an expansion in its scope.
Today, it encompasses entities ranging from providers of remote sensing data to operators of space stations and satellite servicing firms. Additionally, new players are emerging globally with foreign governments showing interest in establishing their presence in space. This incremental method of accessing space is gaining popularity as seen with Virgin Galactic’s research initiatives.
“The demand we see at Virgin Galactic as a suborbital flight provider is to fly with us first, prove the technology through autonomous payloads or, human tended payloads before they buy the higher priced tickets to orbit . . . We flew the Italian Air Force, last year as part of a pipeline from suborbital to orbital research.”
Taylor Armentrout, Senior Manager of Government Affairs, Virgin Galactic
As the launch industry evolves, we are witnessing a shift from a government-controlled
space sector to one dominated by commercial entities, with a significant portion of that market share and influence captured by SpaceX. This shift emphasizes the need for balanced regulations that promote a competitive and healthy commercial space market, without stifling innovation. Arizona has an opportunity to accelerate this shift through academia, industry, and government activity.
Despite market leaders’ success, there are many untapped opportunities in areas like small-scale launch vehicles, orbital logistics, transfer vehicles and satellite maintenance services. Diversification in these areas will create an ecosystem where multiple products and services can come together to offer optimal solutions, setting the stage for a commercially-led space market.
The commercial space industry is on the cusp of a transformative phase. Arizona has a chance to take stage in shaping the future of space by encouraging innovation, fostering collaborations and navigating the dynamics between government and private sectors.
“What I’m most excited about are some of the new services on orbit that have not yet been dominated by status quo, where there’s opportunity for innovation with on orbit servicing, data services, edge computing in space, novel remote sensing capabilities, hyperspectral imagers, and instruments that are on the fringe of technology development.”
Paul Grogan, Associate Professor, Arizona State University
Financing Strategies & Business Models
Finding the balance between government contracts and private investment is critical in the space sector. While government partnership and investment in novel and emerging technologies can reduce development risk for the private sector, there is an intrinsic challenge when government needs differ from commercial priorities.
“I work a lot with companies that want to go out and be privately funded. They are like, ‘We just want to be a commercial space company,’ and I have to remind them that commercial alone is a myth—because it is.”
Kelli Kedis Ogborn, Vice President of
Space Commerce and Entrepreneurship, Space Foundation
“Being from the funder side, I really believe that you need to meet people where they are. And it might really take you stepping back and understanding the psychology of the person that you’re going in to pitch and who their key influencers are.”
The government assesses technological progress and product/market fit differently from investors. Investors generally look for a quick return on investment and demonstrated capabilities, whereas the government may be willing to bear greater risks for mission critical assets. As space companies form, evolve, and grow, they must understand how to leverage each stakeholder—the government and their investors—for successful development.
“It’s not so much raising capital. It’s not so much closing government contracts, but getting those things to line up in a strategic way to where we can accomplish broader milestones that don’t trap us into only doing business with the government, as well as don’t trap us into these far fetched business models that don’t actually hold water.”
Ghonhee Lee, CEO, Katalyst Space Technologies
“I see the government as an early adopter customer for new technologies that will eventually both benefit the commercial market at large, but also reduce the cost to the government when the services are available.”
Jeffrey Manber, President of International and Space Stations, Voyager Space
Both government and commercial customers are often needed to sustain the growth of space companies, which often necessitates development of products and services for dual use. Dual use strategies drive earlier profitability and sustain business models that might be hypothesis driven and require long maturation timelines. These strategies should be iterative, easily pivoted, and they should leverage all components, subcomponents, and processes that might have other commercial applications.
“A company could have a department of defense focused innovation in one specific vertical, but maybe that technology also applies to healthcare in the private sector. So, a lot of times you gotta reskin a technology.”
Ehab Gabr, Director, Plug and Play Cedar Park
Funders need to learn how to ask the right questions of tech founders when assessing investment opportunities in the space sector. Each is likely to value impact very differently with investors taking a pragmatic approach and founders taking a visionary approach. Founders should pitch their companies more like an advocacy engagement given the nascency of the space market while engaging with those who have influence over the funders.
In-Space R&D and Manufacturing
With its world-class research institutions, extensive legacy in space exploration, and its emergence as a hub for advanced manufacturing, Arizona is well positioned to pioneer comprehensive space research and manufacturing.
“Arizona has become a global hotspot for emerging technologies and advanced manufacturing. In recent years, we’ve witnessed impressive momentum across several sectors, including the aerospace and defense industry, battery manufacturing, automated and electric vehicles, semiconductors, and more.
The University of Arizona is ranked top six for NASA funded activity, and ASU boasts forty instrument facilities and laboratories and is participating in more than twenty five active space missions.”
Governor Katie Hobbs
Opportunities abound, including harnessing the unique conditions of space to revolutionize health sciences, developing cutting-edge techniques tailored for space environments, and deploying state-of-theart technologies in space to deepen our understanding of our planet and the cosmos.
“Microgravity research platform to unveil novel insights into the underlying mechanisms that are causing disease that will not only be helpful to astronauts in flight of all kinds, professional and civilian and military, but us down here on Earth with real, true, exciting potential to lead to novel translational applications for mitigation and treatment.”
Cheryl
Nickerson, Professor, Arizona State University
While platforms in LEO will be critical infrastructure to advance breakthroughs in biomedicine, state-of-the-art manufacturing and advanced observation of Earth and space, leveraging the stratosphere as a gateway to space may be a useful tool to advance R&D. The stratosphere is a costeffective analog for space environments in which critical technologies can be tested in a controlled, accessible environment to ensure reliability before full space deployment.
“There is a tremendous amount of work that can be done in the stratosphere. Exploration, earth observations, and communication are the three pillars of the stratospheric economy. One of the use cases that we’re actively working on is precision navigation and timing from the stratosphere, to replicate something like GPS.”
Ryan
Hartman, CEO, Worldview
“Depending on where you are in space, it’ll be cleaner than a clean room. I think there’s a lot of potential for having better infrastructure in space for doing some of the stuff that we do now on Earth and then laboriously sending to its destination. I think there’s a lot of things that will help make space sciences better if you can just get away from the Earth and all of the kinds of limitations that we have here.”
Erika Hamden, Director, Space Institute and Associate Professor, University of Arizona
A New Threshold in Space Exploration: Space Mining
As the landscape of commercial space activities evolves, the state’s unique blend of expertise in mining, aerospace, and innovation positions Arizona as a crucial player in the emerging field of space mining. This convergence of industries offers unprecedented opportunities for economic growth, technological advancement, and scientific discovery. Arizona’s mining industry already contributes $20.1 billion to the state economy and employs 75,000 people. The development of technologies for both space and terrestrial mining could drive innovation across multiple sectors, cementing Arizona’s position as a hub of technological advancement.
In contemporary mining operations on Earth, it typically takes around twenty years from breaking ground to turn a profit, requiring an investment of approximately $17 billion. With the rise of companies like SpaceX and advancements such as satellite miniaturization, the prospect of identifying, extracting, and utilizing resources from space is becoming more feasible. Within the next decade, it may actually become cheaper and quicker to obtain certain resources (such as platinum-group metals) from space than from terrestrial mining. However, space mining still faces significant hurdles. The space
resource utilization value chain is intricate, encompassing extraction, processing, transportation, and end-use. Each phase presents distinct challenges requiring innovative solutions and technologies that are still under development such as the creation of orbital processing capabilities. Contrary to some expectations, most space resources are likely to be used in-space rather than on Earth where a customer base for these resources is not yet established.
The future of space mining hinges on startups assuming the risks of this emerging field. These companies face the challenge of pioneering new technologies and processes with limited resources. Success depends on generating substantial Earth-based revenues or securing significant
“I
think there’s a lot of questions on what our return models are gonna be and how you underwrite this and how you value these companies. And that’s honestly probably the challenge all four of us up here are facing.”
Matt Gialich, CEO and Founder, AstroForge
investor capital. However, this also presents unique opportunities for founders and investors to lead in establishing a new frontier in mining and business.
“Now is the right time [to pursue space mining]. The cost of access to space is going down dramatically, and you will soon be able to do a large-scale mining operation on a celestial body for around the same price as you would here on Earth.”
James Crowell, CEO, Crow Industries
Arizona is uniquely positioned to lead the development of the space mining industry. By providing agile, innovative startups with essential resources, funding, and infrastructure, these startups can demonstrate the viability and scalability of their technologies. Once these methods are proven, established mining companies will be ready to join or acquire them, entering the space mining sector themselves.
Furthermore, by fostering collaboration between its world-class universities, innovative startups, and established mining and aerospace companies, Arizona can create a powerhouse of space mining expertise. This integrated approach will support a robust and dynamic industry, positioning Arizona at the forefront of space mining advancements.
“The fact that you’ve got buy in on the political side, the academia side, the industry side, you’ve got mining here, you’ve got a space industry here already, you have the supply chain you need, you have all of the building blocks and all of the ingredients to be the hub.”
Dean Bergman, Director of Business Development, Honeybee Robotics
Where else on earth can you find a place that has both mining and space, today? And I don’t think there’s anywhere else besides Arizona that has both of those.”
Jeremiah
Pate, CEO, Lunasonde
Takeaways for Arizona
Foci of Excellence
» With companies like WorldView, Blue Origin, BlackStar Orbital, Phantom Space, Paragon Space Development Corporation, Planet Labs, and Virgin Galactic, Arizona can be at the forefront of streamlining R&D processes, accelerating the path from concept to space-tested technology, iterative testing and providing frequent flight options to refine and perfect space technologies.
» Arizona must diversify, mature and grow its existing local investor community to educate them of the risks and opportunities of investing in the space sector.
» As the regulatory landscape for space
mining evolves, Arizona has a unique opportunity to shape ethical and sustainable policies, leveraging its close relationship with Luxembourg to become an international space hub. By doing so, Arizona can attract global attention and investment, solidifying its status as a pioneer in the space mining industry. Furthermore, the emerging need for new financial models presents an opportunity for Arizona’s financial sector to develop expertise in valuing and underwriting space mining ventures, establishing the state as a premier location for space mining finance.
Moving Forward
Governance
The Arizona Space Commission will be positioned to rapidly catalyze the growth of the state’s space economy by creating and communicating a defined statewide space strategy. This strategy should clearly delineate aerospace and defense from commercial space industries, focusing on the latter and incorporating community input. The appointed members of the commission should evenly represent these constituencies.
As the primary educational arm for Arizona’s elected representatives, the commission’s recommendations should minimize government influence on private enterprise. Its composition should reflect Arizona’s diverse geographic regions, key sectors, and industries. It should integrate ad hoc advisors into new economic development efforts and engage with space-adjacent industries such as mining, semiconductor, and
biomedical sectors.
An appropriations request should be submitted for the following purposes:
» Establishing a dedicated funding program, supported by the state and private investors, to promote space science, engineering, and commercialization.
» Developing a comprehensive roadmap for Arizona’s commercial space sector’s growth.
» Overseeing the use of funds and the execution of the roadmap, and monitoring the impact of each.
Funds should prioritize commercial space economic development, such as attracting startups to Arizona, supporting high-risk technology development, and advancing critical space-adjacent sectors outlined in this report.
We hope that this report and the insights from the expert panels at the 2024 Arizona Space Summit will guide the Commission as it develops its recommendations.
The future of Arizona’s space industry is in our hands. We must act decisively to capitalize on our unique strengths and opportunities. We call upon all stakeholders to rally behind these recommendations, supporting the Arizona Space Commission in its mission to launch our state into a prosperous space-driven future. Join us and learn more at www.azspacesummit.com
Community and Culture
Stakeholders across the state should capitalize on the Arizona Space Summit to showcase local companies, educate investors, and attract global industry attention. Arizona should consider hosting a “Funders Day for Space” to empower investors as they navigate the space economy and understand the revenue-driving verticals.
In its first year, it is crucial for the Commission to coordinate and map spacerelated assets across Arizona. This effort could dovetail with a statewide public engagement campaign to educate the public about Arizona’s unique space history and future opportunities for commercial space.
Unlike Colorado as an ecosystem-focused hub, Texas as a policy and regulatory-friendly hub, and Florida as an incentive-focused hub, Arizona should pursue a novel economic development strategy. This strategy should anchor commercial space-focused initiatives within its large and influential academic institutions to accelerate innovation and supply the needed workforce, exemplified by the ASU Space Collective.
Workforce
To meet the workforce demand of the space sector, degree programs need to be more comprehensive and interdisciplinary, adapting to the rapidly changing needs of the commercial space sector, such as ASU’s new Engineering + program.
Arizona should leverage its universities and technical schools’ strengths while fostering robust partnerships with aerospace companies. Combining university infrastructure with federal workforce development funds can lead to jointly developed and delivered curricula aligned with industry needs. Additionally, longer-duration internships, apprenticeships, and training programs should be established, utilizing online and on-demand learning.
Creating new skill-focused, bite-sized credentialing pathways in collaboration with industry to complement traditional college degrees will enhance employability and align with the evolving demands of the space sector. By implementing these strategies, Arizona can meet current workforce needs and adapt to future demands, positioning the state as a leader in space technology and exploration.
Keynote
Speaker
Sabrina Steele, Executive Director, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, The Aerospace Corporation
Shaping the Space Workforce for the Future: An Industry Perspective
Today, our nation finds itself at one of the most important times ever in space, shaped by both complex challenges that must be addressed as well as immense opportunities to leverage space in new ways to benefit life here on Earth. Making the most of this exciting moment will require a vibrant, diverse workforce that is capable of tackling hard problems and delivering the innovation needed to fuel our collective progress. Join The Aerospace Corporation’s Sabrina Steele for an inside look at Space Workforce 2030, a first-of-its-kind collaborative effort bringing together 30 space companies to inspire, prepare and employ the next generation.
Workforce Development
How can Arizona prepare an innovative workforce for this new space age?
Skilled workers are in demand across industries, and space companies face steep competition for talent. It is critical to build a vibrant workforce for the space industry to reach its full potential. This panel will highlight the labor needs of the space sector and steps that Arizona universities, industry, and government can take to help space companies attract workers with a range of needed degrees.
Moderator
Janeya Griffin, Co-Founder and CEO Equity Space Alliance
Panelists
» David Cela, Director, Alternate Missions, Raytheon
» Greg Autry, Clinical Professor, ASU Thunderbird
» Kyle Squires, Dean, Fulton School of Engineering, ASU
» Mark Van Dyke, Assoc. Dean of Research, University of Arizona
The Orion team prepares the parachute test vehicle for the final drop test at Yuma Proving Ground, which will qualify Orion’s parachutes for human flight. On September 12, 2018 an Orion test capsule was dropped from a C-17 aircraft at an altitude of more than six miles to verify the spacecraft’s complex system of 11 parachutes, cannon-like mortars, and pyrotechnic devices work in sequence to slow the capsule’s descent for a safe landing on Earth.
PHOTO DATE: 2018-10-09
LOCATION: Yuma, Arizona
PHOTOGRAPHER: Rad Sinyak
CREDIT: NASA/Johnson Space Center
Arizona Economic Development
Speaker
Michael Crow, President, Arizona State University
Arizona’s space future
What does the future of the space economy look like in Arizona and how can Arizona be a key contributor to its growth? Arizona has long been a dominant player in aerospace and defense manufacturing but our growing advanced materials and technology sectors provides the foundation for the nascent commercial space ecosystem in the state. Hear from the President & CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority on the economic development initiatives our state is taking to grow our space economy.
Speaker
Vic Narusis, (former) Executive Vice President of Business Development, Arizona Commerce Authority
Insights from leading space hubs
What economic development strategies have worked in some of the nation’s largest space economies and internationally and how can Arizona learn from these best practices? Space generates billions of dollars in economic activity across the U.S. with a heavy concentration of commercial and government space activity happening in a few key states. This panel will examine existing models and discuss best practices to inform how Arizona might evolve its strategy to support a long term, sustainable space economy in the state.
Moderator
Greg Autry, Associate Provost for Space Commercialization, University of Central Florida
Panelists
» Alires Almon, Chair Colorado Space Business Roundtable J.E.D.I. Space Council
» Bryce Kennedy, President, Global Space Leadership, Space Valley Coalition of New Mexico
» Daniel Da Cruz, Consul General of Luxembourg in San Francisco & Executive Director at Luxembourg Trade and Investment Office San Francisco
» Eric Sundby, Executive Director, Space Force Association
Commercial LEO economic development
From satellites to new commercial space stations, what is the future of commercial activity in low-Earth orbit and what will be the benefits for terrestrial markets?
Low-Earth orbit has long been home to satellites ranging from military reconnaissance to telecommunications capabilities but commercial LEO has yet to unlock its full potential for economic growth. Learn about new value creating commercial LEO activities and what they mean for terrestrial and off-world markets.
Moderator
Jeffrey Manber, President International and Space Stations, Voyager Space
Panelists
» Ghonhee Lee, Founder and CEO, Katalyst Space
» Jim Cantrell, CEO and Co-Founder, Phantom Space
» Paul Grogan, Associate Professor, School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, Arizona State University
» Taylor Armentrout, Sr. Manager Government Affairs, Virgin Galactic
Commercial LEO R&D
How can the R&D in the microgravity environment accelerate innovation and drive value to terrestrial markets and the broader Arizona economy? For decades, the ISS has led the way in breakthrough R&D. New commercial LEO destinations are now looking to enable even greater innovation by offering new, customer service-focused operating models by the end of the decade. As research and manufacturing start to scale up in space, the panel will discuss its impact on industries such as biopharma and advanced manufacturing.
Moderator
Molly Mulligan, Director of Business Development, Redwire
Panelists
» Cheryl Nickerson, Professor, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University
» Donna Roberts, Deputy Chief Scientist, International Space Station National Laboratory
» Erika Hamden Director, University of Arizona Space Institute
» Ryan Hartman, President and CEO, Worldview
Fireside Chat: How can Arizona lead the way in space?
Arizona has long been a leader in aerospace and defense. Hear how Arizona is accelerating growth in this new space economy.
Host
Sandra Watson, President and CEO, Arizona Commerce Authority
Special guest
Katie Hobbs, Governor of Arizona
Innovations in resource utilization
What does using resources that are already in space mean for the sustainability of both space exploration and our activities on Earth? From the Moon to Mars, humanity has its sights set on expanding into the solar system. The panel will discuss how accessing extraterrestrial resources from water to oxygen and valuable minerals might impact the energy sector on Earth and accelerate our expansion in space. Learn about the enabling technologies being developed by legacy mining companies and new space companies.
Moderator
Steve Trussell, Executive Director, Arizona Rock Products Association & The Arizona Mining Association
Panelists
» Dean Bergman, Director of Business Development, Honeybee Robotics
» Jeremiah Pate, Founder and CEO, Lunasonde
» Jim Crowell, Founder & CEO, Crow Industries
» Matt Gialich, Co-Founder and CEO, AstroForge
Investor perspectives
Where are investors placing their bets in the space sector and how can states partner with the investor community to help de-risk emerging space markets? Global activity in space has grown to $546 billion in 2023 but access to capital to support this market in Arizona continues to challenge local commercial space companies. Hear what the future of space investment has to hold and how Arizona may lead the way in sustainable funding for space companies.
Moderator
Jessica Pacheco, Managing Director, AZVC
Panelists
» Ehab Gabr, Director of Advanced Manufacturing, Plug and Play
» Kelli Kedis Ogborn, Vice President, Space Commerce & Entrepreneurship, Space Foundation
