[ S P A C E ]
BLUEPRINT
THE
REPORT
THAT INKS
THE PRIORITIES.
Translates the priorities established through Space Congress into a shared roadmap for action. It defines where regional space ecosystems can align, where opportunities exist, and what we can move forward together.
2026 ARIZONA SPACE BLUEPRINTA STRATEGIC PLAN FOR ARIZONA’S SPACE ECONOMY
THE WORK BEGINS HERE
This Blueprint was developed from collective input gathered during the 2026 Arizona Space Congress workshops and discussions. Participant contributions were documented, transcribed, and synthesized using AI-assisted analysis, together with statewide industry data provided by Arsenal Government Affairs. All findings, recommendations, and editorial decisions were reviewed and curated by the Space Rising team. The report reflects collaborative perspectives intended to inform statewide space strategy and ecosystem development.
Arizona has the foundation.
What it needs now is execution.
Arizona has approximately three to five years to establish itself as one of the nation’s defining space economy hubs. The states that build coordinated ecosystems first will attract the long-term investment, federal programs, supply chains, and workforce that become increasingly difficult to displace.
The orbital economy is projected to grow from roughly $630 billion in 2023 to $1.8 trillion by 2035, but the leadership positions will be established well before the market reaches its full scale. By the end of this decade, many of today’s strategic decisions will already be locked into place.
Arizona has the ingredients. The question is whether we can connect them fast enough.
Texas, Florida and New Mexico are moving faster, not necessarily because they have stronger individual assets, but because they are coordinating investment, workforce, infrastructure, incentives, and supply chains at scale. Arizona’s challenge is increasingly one of integration and execution. The opportunity remains significant, but the competitive timeline is tightening.
Coordination is the constraint.
Across every workshop, conversation, and analysis captured the report, the conclusion was consistent: Arizona has the capability.
What it does not yet have is coordinated execution across that capability. Coordination is what turns capability into leadership at scale.
ARIZONA’S CHALLENGE ISN’ T POTENTIAL. IT’S PACE.
The next move is integration.
Arizona has the manufacturing capacity but not the operational backbone to scale it. The talent pipeline produces high-value graduates but doesn’t retain them. The capital flowing in is real but doesn’t compound across companies. The work over the next twelve months is connecting what already exists across those systems.
THE WINDOW
The states and nations that lock in coordinated execution this year will define the next decade of federal procurement, workforce flow, and capital allocation. Arizona either makes that list or it does not. The Arizona Space Blueprint is the plan to make sure it does.
Arizona by the numbers
Eight data points that anchor Arizona’s position in the global space economy.
space vehicle manufacturing
employment concentration
spaceport initiatives
underway
expansion investment over the
past five years
defense jobs added statewide
budget tied to national security
space growth
defense expansions
announced in Arizona
contracts awarded in 2025
Prioritized tactics for 2030
Phase III translates the investigation findings into prioritized tactics across eight lanes of execution:
DEVELOPMENT
Where Arizona has a real advantage
Four positions where AZ leads or is positioned to lead.
+01/04
Cross-Sector
Convergence
Arizona sits at the intersection of commercial space, national security, academia, and advanced manufacturing. No other state holds all four corners at once.
+02/04
Industrial and Manufacturing Strength
Affordable infrastructure, an experienced aerospace labor base, and physical room to scale. Three things California and Florida no longer offer at the same price point.
+03/04
Talent
Pipeline
at Scale
Arizona State University and the University of Arizona produce thousands of high-skill graduates per year across engineering, science, and mission systems. Most leave the state within five years of graduation.
+04/04
Strategic
Geography
and Stability
Minimal natural-disaster risk and strong logistics positioning make Arizona reliable for operations, testing, and mission continuity. Insurance costs and downtime risk are meaningfully lower than competing space states.
Where Arizona is falling short
Five gaps that are holding the ecosystem back.
-01/05
Lack of Operational
Infrastructure
Arizona builds missions but does not operate them locally. The work moves to Colorado, Maryland, and California. The talent follows.
-02/05
Missing Identity
and Narrative
Arizona is still perceived nationally as a supporting player rather than a leader. The gap is positioning. The gap can close.
-03/05
Legal and
Policy Friction
Regulatory uncertainty around export controls and commercialization pathways adds drag on deal flow that competing states have already reduced.
-04/05
Fragmentation
Across
the Ecosystem
Universities, companies, government, and the military all hold AZ-based assets that should be operating as one system. They are not yet connected.
-05/05
Capital
Formation
Gaps
Venture and growth capital flowing into AZ space remains a fraction of what flows into California, Texas, or Florida. AZ-founded companies routinely have to leave the state to raise.
THE DEFINING INSIGHT
The future of space will go to the ecosystems that integrate faster than the rest. Integration is a coordination problem. Arizona has the pieces in place: talent, industry, research, strategic relevance. What the state does not yet have is system alignment. The Blueprint that follows is the framework for closing the gap.
FROM SPACE CONGRESS
“We have the workforce, we have the capability, we have the strength to prepare our students better than anywhere else in the country.”
DISCLAIMER
The findings, recommendations, and conclusions presented in this report are intended to inform discussion and strategic planning. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented, Space Rising makes no warranties regarding completeness or future outcomes. References to organizations, agencies, or companies do not constitute endorsement or official representation unless expressly stated.
SPACE RISING
Space Rising is a global civic platform dedicated to coordinating the space economy around shared priorities. The Space Blueprint™ is a proprietary publication developed to support informed decision-making and coordinated action across the space industry.
© 2026 Space Rising. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means, or republished without the prior written permission of Space Rising, except for brief quotations used in reviews, news reporting, or scholarly works with proper attribution.