From the Midwest to the Moon
NASA will take another step toward returning astronauts to the moon when Artemis 2 launches as early as this spring. During the 10-day mission, Orion will orbit Earth twice before traveling around the far side of the moon, marking the first time humans have entered lunar orbit in more than half a century.
Like so many missions before it, Artemis 2 will launch from Florida, with mission control in Texas. But Jim Free, a retired NASA associate administrator who previously oversaw Artemis, points to another U.S. state without which Artemis 2 would not be possible: Ohio - home to the Wright Brothers and 26 NASA astronauts, including Neil Armstrong and John Glenn; more than 640 aerospace supply companies; Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, site of the U.S. Space Force's National Space Intelligence Center; and NASA's Glenn Research Center, which encompasses the state-of-the-art Neil Armstrong Test Facility.
"The Neil Armstrong Test Facility has the world's largest vacuum chamber. That's the only place in the world where you could test the entire Orion spacecraft," Free said. He added that Ohioans have helped develop "every fundamental technology that has advanced both human and robotic spacecraft, going back to when the liquid hydrogen architecture was picked for Apollo."
Faced with growing geopolitical risks and critical supply chain vulnerabilities, space manufacturers that previously relied on foreign suppliers increasingly are reshoring operations in the United States. Although few may realize its prominence in America's space history, Ohio leaders believe it's time to make industry aware of the role the state can play in America's space future, said J.P. Nauseef, president and CEO of JobsOhio, a private, nonprofit enterprise supporting economic development in Ohio.
"When you see a rocket launch in Florida, it's people behind the scenes in Ohio who have solved the problems to make that possible," Nauseef said. "For a mission to succeed, you need an affordable and abundant workforce; research institutions that can invent and innovate; and a manufacturing base that can test and build the things you envision and create. There's no other place in the country where those things converge in the same way that they do in Ohio."
For legacy companies and space startups alike, Ohio's biggest draw is its workforce, said retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Lester Lyles, chairman of the NASA Advisory Council.
"I have consistently reminded people: As you're looking for talent and expertise that apply to space, you need to broaden your aperture," said Lyles, who has encouraged space operators to look beyond traditional talent centers in Florida, Texas and California. "Because of my long career that includes 36 years in the Air Force leading large aerospace firms and large aerospace activities, I know what the talent is in Ohio."
The Buckeye state is home to 88 colleges and universities - including seven R1 Carnegie-level research institutions - that produce nearly 40,000 STEM graduates every year, many of whom have specialized degrees in space-related fields.
Along with space talent, Ohio's value proposition includes space infrastructure.
"Companies … don't have to replicate the expertise or facilities that already exist at NASA Glenn and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base," said Free. He pointed to SpaceX, which conducted payload fairing tests for its Falcon 9 rocket at NASA's Neil Armstrong Test Facility. "They don't have to make those capital expenditures because they can be partial users of those facilities to access the experience and expertise they need to work through their problems."
Even in a world defined by remote work, there's no substitute for physical proximity to talent and technology, suggested Nauseef, who said being located near Ohio-based research centers, suppliers and customers can decrease costs and increase security, networking and collaboration, all of which can accelerate space innovation.
"Once you open people's eyes to where the skills are and how they can be utilized, everybody wants to jump on board," Lyles said.
This article originally appeared in the April 2026 SN Focus section on economic development in North America. Download this SN Focus section.
SN Focus reports spotlight new opportunities throughout the industry. Produced by SpaceNews Brand Studio, SN Focus sections on economic development and higher education offer organizations unrivaled exposure to the space industry backed by the authority of SpaceNews.
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