Maryland recently established the Maryland Aerospace and Technology Commission (“MATC”) to strengthen the state’s role in space exploration and innovation.[1] Housed within the Department of Commerce, MATC will support economic development initiatives that integrate the aerospace industry into Maryland’s economy.[2] MATC is tasked with identifying research and funding prospects within Maryland, creating and updating a strategic plan each year, establishing designated aerospace and technology zones, collaborating with local communities, and promoting educational initiatives.[3]

MATC comprises representatives, or their designees, from both public and private sectors, including the Secretary of Commerce, members of the Maryland Senate and House of Delegates, and leaders from federal agencies and academic institutions. [4] Notably, the Director of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Director of the FBI serve as ex officio, non-voting members.[5] Other members include representatives from the Goddard Contractors’ Association, the Presidents of the University of Maryland, College Park, the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), the Maryland Space Business Roundtable, the Southern Maryland Navy Alliance, and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.[6]

MATC will also include the Director of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, among others.[7] Appointed members will serve four-year terms, and the Governor has the power to remove any of his appointees.[8]

Maryland is home to some of the nation’s most advanced scientific institutions, including the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.[9]  Despite these strengths, Maryland has historically fallen behind states like California, Texas, and Colorado regarding marketing. With global recognition for the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes, a growing desire exists to showcase Maryland’s contributions to space technology and better integrate aerospace into the state’s economic strategy.[10]  By highlighting its assets, Maryland hopes to attract new talent and investment in aerospace.[11]

To achieve its mission, MATC will seek research and funding opportunities to better integrate the aerospace sector into Maryland’s economy. It will encourage public-private partnerships, support local education and workforce initiatives, and establish “aerospace and technology zones” to promote industry growth.[12]

Essential to MATC is its annual strategic plan.[13] This will include a list of potential projects, estimated costs, and proposed funding sources.[14] The Commission will also work to acquire land within designated zones to attract aerospace businesses and research institutions.[15]

By October 1st of each year, the Commission must submit a report to the Governor, the Maryland Economic Development Commission, and the General Assembly.[16] The report will detail MATC’s activities over the prior year and include a copy of the strategic plan.[17]

This legislation aims to grow Maryland’s aerospace economy and better market the state’s programs and capabilities.[18] The formation of MATC will ensure that space exploration is a greater part of Maryland’s future.

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Cameron Luzarraga is a 2025 graduate from the University of Baltimore School of Law and was formerly an Associate Editor for Law Forum. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland, College Park. Cameron has experience in public service, having interned with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, NASA Office of the Inspector General, and, during law school, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Cameron was also the President of the UB Environmental Law Society.

[1] Economic Development – Maryland Aerospace and Technology Commission, ch. 623, 2024 Md. Laws; see S.B. 516, 2024 Gen. Assem., 446th Sess. (Md. 2024) (enacted) [hereinafter Maryland Aerospace and Technology Commission Act].

[2] See Dep’t Legis. Services Md. Gen. Assem., 90 Day Report: A Review of the 2024 Legislative Session, 446th Sess. (2024), https://dls.maryland.gov/pubs/prod/RecurRpt/24rs_90_Day_Report.pdf.

[3] Id.

[4] Md. Code Ann., Econ. Dev. § 5-2603 (a)(1)-(15) (LexisNexis 2025).

[5] Id. at § 5-2603(a)(4)-(6).

[6] Id. at § 5-2603(a)(7)-(14).

[7] Id. at § 5-2603(13).

[8] Id. at § 5-2603(b),(e) (including “a representative of institutions of higher education; a representative of the National Society of Black Engineers; a representative of the Maryland aerospace manufacturing community; and a representative of the aerospace technology industry.”).

[9] Meeting Minutes, Md. Aerospace & Tech. Comm’n (Oct. 23, 2024), https://commerce.maryland.gov/

Documents/MATC.Minutes.10.23.24.pdf (remarks of Makenzie Lystrup, Director, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center).

[10] Id.

[11] Id.

[12] Econ. Dev. § 5-2607(a) (LexisNexis 2025).

[13] Econ. Dev. § 5-2606(a) (LexisNexis 2025).

[14] Id. at. § 5-2606(b)(1)-(2).

[15] Id. at § 5-2607.

[16] Econ. Dev. § 5-2608(a)-(b) (LexisNexis 2025).

[17] Id.

[18] Econ. Dev. § 5-2602(b) (LexisNexis 2025).