Aerospace and Aviation
Astrobotic wants a second shot at a moon landing. The Pittsburgh-based company’s Griffin Mission One lander is gearing up to take a SpaceX rocket into space, perhaps as early as July.
At the facility, Astrobotic scientists can be found simulating the rumble of a rocket takeoff and the intense hot and cold conditions of space flight, while a rover pit emulates the cratered, dusty lunar surface. In addition to the Griffin mission, Astrobotic is attempting to bring an energy grid to the moon so that missions that currently last only 2 weeks can last for years in space.
On a recent tour of the facility, U.S. Senator Dave McCormick expressed his support for alleviating burdensome regulations and for Pennsylvania learning institutions that create the talent and skilled workforce to make these goals a reality.
“Something really important is happening for the country, which is re-industrializing our defense capability,” McCormick said on a tour of Astrobotic that was featured in an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Space offers enormous opportunity for the country, and there’s enormous investment going in there.
“The technology we see here, the innovation that you’re doing is just amazing. … This kind of industry and this kind of growth is really critical for America, but it’s also critical for Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is uniquely positioned for this moment. Thanks for your leadership on this, and thanks for all that you’re doing. I know it’s not easy to build something special from scratch, but you’re doing it.”
Economic Development
At a Washington County Chamber of Commerce Member Forum last week, Pittsburgh Steelers vice president of business development Dan Rooney spoke with optimism about the economic gains the region would experience during the city’s upcoming NFL Draft this April.
He told the audience that early estimates suggest at least 500,000 people will come through the area for the event, which will be among the biggest live gatherings in state history. The TV exposure is also expected to be unprecedented for the region, with around 50 million people around the world tuning in for the draft.
This translates to major economic gains for the region, Rooney told the audience of business leaders, with early estimates pointing toward $200 million in economic impact.
“The scale is an opportunity for western PA to launch itself into the future,” he said. “We will have a global audience to show off what Pittsburgh and western PA is about.”
The 2026 NFL Draft is scheduled to take place April 23-25, near Acrisure Stadium and Point State Park.
Technology
Pittsburgh-based Aurora Innovation, a self-driving technology company, recently announced the launch of new software that the company said will triple its driverless network.
The software release is Aurora’s fourth since deploying driverless trucks in April 2025. The latest software provides the Aurora Driver with the capability to navigate the geography and climate of the southern United States.
“Expanding across the Sun Belt and introducing customer endpoints enables us to provide our customers with the capacity they need to move goods at a scale that wasn’t possible before,” Chris Urmson, Aurora co-founder and CEO, said. “Being a carrier is a game of margins and if autonomy can work around the clock, it will be key to growing our customers’ businesses.”
The Aurora Driver now can navigate highways and streets in multiple forms of inclement weather including rain, fog, and heavy wind. Last year, inclement weather constrained Aurora’s driverless operations in Texas approximately 40 percent of the time.
Aurora is the first company to autonomously haul freight on the approximately 1,000-mile Fort Worth and Phoenix route. With Phoenix, Aurora is tripling its driverless network.