Heinrich, AFRL, NewSpace New Mexico Announce $11 Million Dollar Agreement To Advance New Mexico Space Industry And Innovation
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) announced NewSpace New Mexico’s launch of Unite & Ignite Space, a co-innovation hub to bring together resources, programming, and workspaces to support the growth of New Mexico’s space industry. During his time on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Heinrich secured authorization of a combined $11 million through the FY20 and FY21 National Defense Authorization Acts to create a small satellite innovation hub in Albuquerque, New Mexico, that goes beyond R&D to support the space industry.
“I was proud to help secure the funding for this agreement between the Air Force Research Lab and NewSpace New Mexico that will allow us to build the Unite & Ignite Space, a small satellite co-innovation hub right next to Kirtland Air Force Base,” said Heinrich. “We have an incredible opportunity to establish New Mexico as the best place in America for space innovation and the new careers that will create. Our local space innovation ecosystem has already built a strong track record by repeatedly setting the standard for how to develop novel space technologies at the speed of relevance. The Unite & Ignite Space and the overall MaxQ campus will allow us to create the right environment for both established companies who are looking to build a presence in New Mexico and for homegrown companies who want to expand and thrive.”
Unite & Ignite Space is made possible through a Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) between the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and NewSpace New Mexico.
“The PIA will amplify our ability to develop products, services, and collaboration spaces that enable New Space companies to enter, innovate, and thrive in the new space era,”said NewSpace founder and CEO Casey Anglada DeRaad. “It is an exciting time for NewSpace New Mexico as we serve the needs of space companies and stakeholders across the new space ecosystem locally and nationally.”
“What an exciting day for NewSpace New Mexico, for our state, and for our nation’s space enterprise,” said Col. Eric Felt, director of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate. “We are proud to partner with them to provide support and resources to our nation’s space technology providers.”
“The Air Force Research Lab in New Mexico is excited to partner with NewSpace New Mexico to Unite and Ignite the Space ecosystem in New Mexico,” said Gabe Mounce, director, Space Force Accelerators, AFRL-NM. “Alongside AFRL New Mexico’s other partners, New Mexico Institute of Technology, New Mexico Trade Alliance, CNM Ingenuity, UNM, and NMSU’s Arrowhead center, NewSpace New Mexico will execute programs in concert with our other world class programs (such as our Hyperspace Challenge) that will spur and grow the Space Economy in New Mexico and pipeline commercial innovation toward US Space Force missions.”
Space companies and buyers of space solutions will have three acceleration paths to choose from to grow their businesses with access to concierge, navigation, and co-innovation services. The new space economy is expected to grow 800 percent to three trillion dollars in the next 20 years.
