New Arizona Space Blueprint says state has a 3- to 5-year window to compete for jobs, investment – ABC15 Arizona

New Arizona Space Blueprint says state has a 3- to 5-year window to compete for jobs, investment  ABC15 Arizona

Arizona already builds satellites, missile systems, and technology headed for space. Now, a newly released Arizona Space Blueprint argues the state has a relatively short window to turn those assets into a much bigger piece of the growing space economy.The 2026 Arizona Space Blueprint was developed by the group Space Rising after the Arizona Space Congress was held in Phoenix in late spring. The organization says the report is a mix of all the information gathered during the Arizona Space Congress workshops and discussions back in April, along with statewide industry data.The headline finding is simple: Arizona already has the pieces. The challenge is putting them together.According to the report, Arizona ranks first nationally in the concentration of guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing employment.

It also points to more than $2.8 billion in aerospace and defense expansion investment over the past five years and more than 60 aerospace and defense expansions announced in the state.The Arizona Commerce Authority independently lists Arizona No. 1 nationally for the concentration of guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing and among the country's leaders in aerospace and defense manufacturing employment.A warning: Arizona's window may be shortThe Blueprint argues Arizona has roughly three to five years to establish itself as one of the country's major space-economy hubs.Its final assessment is unusually direct: the next several