Astro Fab

Aerospace Center Astro Fab, a state-of-the-art aerospace machining and fabrication facility and laboratory for aerospace and defense innovation.

Astro Fab will serve as a national hub for precision machining, fabrication, and materials research, accelerating scientific breakthroughs that support space and defense technologies while bolstering the U.S. research ecosystem that feeds the next-generation technology development. This facility will provide cutting-edge research capabilities and workforce development opportunities, strengthening UTEP’s leadership in the New Frontier Ecosystem and solidifying its role in aerospace and defense innovation.

Strategic Impact

Astro Fab is directly aligned with industry and DoD priorities in advanced manufacturing, next-generation materials, and aerospace innovation. The facility will provide critical support for key defense and space technology areas:

• Hypersonics, Lunar Lander, Missile Systems, UAVs
• Satellite and spacecraft development
• Robotics and automation
• Critical metallurgical processes, including heat treatment in the near future!
• …and much more!

Sustainability and Collaboration

Astro Fab will be a collaborative research and workforce development center, integrating expertise from academia, industry, and government partners. By embedding real-world computer-aided design (CAD), CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing), precision machining, fabrication, welding, testing, and metrology into its operations, Astro Fab will reduce costs, mitigate design risks, and accelerate technology transition from research to deployment. The facility will also create high-skill, high-wage jobs, enhancing workforce readiness in aerospace and defense manufacturing.

Workforce Development

Last year, Astro Fab collaborated with Workforce Solutions Borderplex, El Paso Community College, and El Paso Independent School District to train students and provide valuable trade skills for the future workforce. As part of our expanded vision, we are reinvigorating these partnerships and student programs and adding more! We will engage with our partners to provide students with multiple opportunities to add these skills – Head Smart and Hand Smart!

With its strategic location and decades of expertise in aerospace and manufacturing research, UTEP is uniquely positioned to lead this transformative initiative and expand our vision. Astro Fab will directly support small businesses, industry and Department of Defense missions to accelerate research that feeds cutting-edge technologies and maintain national security dominance.