Leaders gather for summit to explore ways to make Arizona a bigger space industry force

PHOENIX — Arizona is known for its semiconductor industry and growing population, factors that could push the state toward a new frontier: the space sector.

Last week’s Arizona Space Summit in Tempe brought together local and national leaders to map out how to make the state a bigger force in the space industry.

Jessica Rousset, executive director of the Arizona State University Interplanetary Initiative, said Thursday’s gathering focused on marketing the components that would appeal to space companies that could potentially move to the Grand Canyon State.

“We have an incredible ecosystem here in Arizona with our powerhouse universities, our legacy contractors and a lot of exciting new types of companies like Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, Black Star Orbital and others coming to Arizona,” Rousset told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Monday.

What happened during Arizona Space Summit?

The third annual Arizona Space Summit featured representatives from ASU, the University of Arizona, Embry-Riddle University, Northern Arizona University and the Arizona Commerce Authority, among others.

Rousset credits the weather, infrastructure and workforce for the space companies in the state so far but says more could be done to lure bigger companies, like highlighting the Valley’s thriving semiconductor industry.

With ASU’s focus on sustainability, a part of the final plan will have to consider the environmental impacts of space travel and exploration. Rousset acknowledged the space junk floating around our planet and says it could cause a concerning domino effect that if not monitored could be dangerous for Earth.

Rousset explained that the summit was about “finding the gaps” in what Arizona is lacking on its way to becoming a contributor in the industry.

“We have this incredible opportunity to take advantage and drive what will be perhaps a trillion-dollar space economy in the next decade, and we’re going to be very much a part of that,” she said.

In a related recent development, Gov. Katie Hobbs relaunched the Arizona Space Commission last month after the program had been dormant for the past decade.

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