Astrotech Corporation is a technology incubator and science development company headquartered in Austin, Texas, traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the ticker ASTC. Established in 1984, it was originally known as SPACEHAB, Inc., which provided space habitat microgravity experimentation equipment and services to NASA during the Space Shuttle program. The company changed its name to Astrotech Corporation in 2009. Its mechanism involves sourcing technology internally and from research institutions to fund, manage, and sell start-up companies.
A major shift occurred in August 2014 when it sold its core satellite processing business, Astrotech Space Operations, Inc. (ASO), to Lockheed Martin. This sale marked a pivot from space logistics to a focus on analytical technologies. Currently, its operations center on commercializing the Astrotech Mass Spectrometer Technology (AMS Technology) platform. This technology is used to create field-ready scientific instruments that deliver laboratory precision for terrestrial applications.
Key subsidiaries connect the company to diverse sectors: 1st Detect Corporation manufactures explosives and narcotics trace detectors for security and defense, AgLAB, Inc. develops mass spectrometers for the hemp and cannabis market, and BreathTech Corporation is developing breath analysis tools for medical screening. The company provides commercial products and services to entities like NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense. The company has focused heavily on mass spectrometry applications through its subsidiaries as of late 2023 and early 2024.