Keystone Space Collaborative

…And then there were six! 🌍🚀 We're thrilled to introduce the finalists selected to advance in our inaugural Keystone Space Innovation Challenge, each driving groundbreaking advancements in space technology and research: 🌟 Beyond Reach Labs, Inc. 🌟 Kurt J. Lesker Company 🌟 Revitalize 🌟 Goeppert LLC 🌟 Monolith Blue LLC 🌟 Fourth State Therapeutics LLC These teams will present their visionary concepts during our Pitch Day Competition in early March for a chance to win up to $50,000. Thank you to all the outstanding applicants that took the time to apply for the Challenge—we’re thrilled to see how all these ideas will advance our space ecosystem! For more details about the Innovation Challenge, visit: https://lnkd.in/eMc-5W6A

Big news from Pitt Space! 🚀 The 100th anniversary issue of The New Yorker features a wonderful article on space travel and the future of humanity in space – including a spotlight on Dr. Afshin Beheshti, Pitt Space’s director of space biomedicine. We were honored to have Dr. Beheshti at the 2024 Keystone Space Conference, and can attest that his expertise is invaluable.    This is a must-read for anyone passionate about space innovation!

Today is International Day of Women and Girls in Science! 👩🚀🚀 This year, the theme of the day is Women in Science Leadership: A New Era for Sustainability. As the United Nations put it, this day is a reminder that women and girls play a critical role in science and technology communities, and their participation should be strengthened. Keystone Space Collaborative is honored to engage with many women in STEM industries, and we're thrilled to spend this day celebrating women in science of the past, present and future. 🙌 Read more: https://lnkd.in/ewY_6ij

Congrats to our friends at Astrobotic for their second chance at shooting for the Moon 🚀🌟 Astrobotic plans to deliver California-based Astrolab's rover called FLIP to the south pole of the moon later this year. Astrobotic's second lunar lander, Griffin, will carry FLIP (FLEX Lunar Innovation Platform) to the moon to gather data and test out technologies before a 2026 mission with SpaceX. Griffin Mission 1 has been in the works for a long time, and Astrobotic serves as a model example of the perseverance that moves the industry forward. 👏 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gddbaSnW

Exciting news, Pittsburghers! This spring, the first ever pierogi will be traveling to space. 🚀 You read that right – Polish astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski will bring a pierogi with him on his mission to the International Space Station. We've always known pierogis were out of this world – now, it will be official! 🍴🌎 Best of luck to Uznański-Wiśniewski and the rest of the crew on their exciting mission! Read more: https://lnkd.in/eFZwyK8i

Today is the last day to submit your business plan for the Keystone Space Innovation Challenge! Don’t miss your chance to compete for up to $50,000 in funding and showcase your innovative ideas in Commercial Space Technology or In-Space R&D Commercial Concepts. Submit by midnight tonight! 🚀 https://lnkd.in/eMc-5W6A

Keystone Space Board Chair Justine Kasznica was featured on WPXI-TV to discuss the positive impact of the Keystone Space Innovation Challenge on our region. 🚀🌟 "It's what we do best; we're [space] industrialists at heart," said Kasznica. "We're thinking about this region as a region of space industrialists. We're looking at power in communications as the bedrock for enabling off-Earth missions of the future." We're proud to empower those who share our mission to grow our region to the forefront of space innovation through opportunities like the Keystone Space Innovation Challenge. Do you or someone you know have a Commercial Space Technology and In-Space R&D Commercial Concept? We want to hear it! It's not too late – the deadline for submissions is January 31. https://lnkd.in/eQ3tDNey

Another exciting step for our region! Congratulations to our friends at Blue Abyss Global for signing a Space Act Agreement with NASA Glenn Research Center.🌟 Together, both organizations will explore areas such as selection and training, human performance research, and infrastructure development. 🚀

Pittsburgh-based Westinghouse Electric Company has been awarded a major contract from NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to continue developing a space microreactor as part of the Fission Surface Power (FSP) project. This project will help design small, nuclear fission reactors capable of providing astronauts with reliable, long-term power on the moon — and even future deep space missions. The contract, awarded through Idaho National Laboratory, will allow Westinghouse to test critical reactor technology and move closer to making a lunar microreactor demonstration a reality within the next decade. It's exciting to see our region playing a critical role in shaping the future of space exploration! Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eDcJTnFA

Pittsburgh's decades-long commitment to robotics has transformed the city and broader region into a leading tech hub, with institutions like Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh and more driving innovation. Space exploration for scientific discovery and industrialization of the Moon has seen possibly its biggest revitalization since man landed in 1969, and companies in our region are leading the way. “It is the refresh of an existing pedigree, and something both [political] sides can agree on,” said Justine Kasznica, board chair of the Keystone Space Collaborative. Our region has made such an impact already, and we can’t wait for what’s come! 💪 Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/eJENeuqm