Houston hopes to become the epicenter of commercial space industry

NASA reaffirmed its commitment to work with private space industry companies during the State of Space event hosted by the Greater Houston Partnership on Oct. 11.

“NASA’s continuing mission to put people in space ... marks the beginning of a new era of cooperation with private firms,” Greater Houston Partnership President Bob Harvey said at the event.

The Johnson Space Center has partnered with several private institutions to further develop space technologies; among these partnerships is Rice University’s Ion innovation hub helping accelerate aerospace research, JSC Director Vanessa Wyche said at the event.

NASA has also partnered with private firms on the agency's own missions, including Artemis 1, an uncrewed lunar-orbiting mission planned to launch in late November, according to Wyche.

In 2019 NASA announced the first astronauts flying with private companies would travel to the International Space Station.

In April, Axiom Space became the first private company to send a crew to the ISS and a month later broke ground on its new spaceport headquarters at 13200 Space Center Blvd., Houston. Collins Aerospace and Intuitive Machines will also be working out of the Houston Spaceport upon its completion.

“Some of the world’s most innovative minds are charting a vibrant future for Houston,” Harvey said.