Michigan is betting that the next phase of space activity can translate into jobs and industrial growth on the ground, using supply-chain and research ties from NASA’s Artemis II mission as evidence that the sector already touches the state.
Mark Ignash, director of strategic initiatives at Michigan’s Office of Defense and Aerospace Innovation, said Michigan-made products were part of the Artemis II flight when the United States launched its first crewed rocket mission into space in 50 years this month. He pointed to engine components built in Michigan, including blades and nozzles in the rocket’s four engines from Moeller Aerospace in Harbor Springs, as well as equipment made by Elmet Technologies in Lewiston. Ignash also cited NASA’s use of solar particle forecasts from the University of Michigan as another example of the state’s involvement.
Ignash said the Artemis II mission drew from a broad set of suppliers and research partners in Michigan, adding that at least 78 Michigan-based entities contributed to the mission. He described the state’s challenge as one of visibility—companies, he said, are “companies we don’t realize that we’ve got in our backyard”—and argued that connecting those capabilities could help create more space-related work and hiring.
The state is pursuing that connection through a new Space Innovation Hub. Ignash and other officials said the growing space economy—supporting services such as telecommunications, navigation and agriculture, in addition to celestial research—offers a “bold new frontier for economic development.” They also linked the push to defense and commercialization, describing space as a second space race that includes both commercial activity and defense work.
“From our skilled workforce and world-class universities to our robust supply chains, advanced testing environments, and manufacturing infrastructure, Michigan has unique capabilities and assets,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said when introducing the broader defense and aerospace development plan in February. Ignash said aviation and unmanned systems—drones—are more familiar than space to many people and businesses, but he described increased commercialization of space as a game-changer.
The plan includes a formal contracting step. The Michigan Economic Development Corp., according to the state officials, is seeking proposals to establish the Space Innovation Hub, with up to $1.2 million budgeted for the first year. The state will evaluate bidders after a June 1 deadline, with officials expecting the hub to act as an early step toward linking and growing space-centered business in Michigan.
Ignash said the state is not just building around physical space, but also around connections such as data sharing that can reach across both peninsulas. He also said collaboration around space-related efforts is already increasing, describing a state networking group that grew from a dozen participants to 150 this year, with members working across specialties that include space research, remote sensing and digital engineering.
Officials also pointed to prospective work beyond launch hardware, including in-space assembly and manufacturing—ISAM—which they described as work performed after launch by humans or robots to keep equipment usable for later projects. Not on the expected opportunities list, Ignash and officials said rocket launch sites were not part of the initial hub focus, while noting that test sites could still be considered depending on future planning.
Over the coming years, Ignash said he hopes the momentum will help Michigan receive more federal funding through NASA and other programs. He said the state is not trying to create an entire sector on its own, but rather to “put[] some wind behind the sails” by getting partners to “unify in a single direction” to do more together.