Lawrenceburg
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The Center Square
Outer space comes to Kentucky: Inaugural summit gathers leaders in space sector
(The Center Square) – Industry leaders are pursuing economic growth in the space science and exploration sector with the first Kentucky Space Summit in Lexington today. The daylong conference will bring together researchers, policymakers and business leaders wanting to expand Kentucky’s involvement in space ventures, as well as increase the global visibility of Kentucky’s current contributions. “This inaugural Kentucky Space Summit is designed to bring creative interdisciplinary thinkers together from within and outside of Kentucky to begin crafting an ambitious framework for a 5-10 year space strategy,” said Humanity in Deep Space Founder Kris Kimel. The summit is hosted by Kentucky Space Futures, a collaborative initiative between the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, Humanity in Deep Space, and Kentucky Science and Technology Corp. Kentucky is home to aerospace manufacturing, metals, plastics, and rubber fabrication, and chemical works, all of which currently contribute to space enterprises. Growing investment in space exploration offers a large economic opportunity to the state, officials say. “All aspects of the global space sector are rapidly expanding particularly with the return of humans to the moon,” Kimel told The Center Square. “This sector is expected to grow to over $1.6 trillion by 2035. Kentucky already has a