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TowerSpotter Sep 5, 2013 2:06 AM
Houston Spaceport
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by PR Newswire
Houston Airports Unveil First Look at Proposed Spaceport

The Houston Airport System unveiled part of its vision for the future of Ellington Airport (EFD) today, as conceptual renderings of a possible Spaceport were released to the public. The design/drawings capture various elements of the overall project, including a terminal facility, an aviation museum and the accompanying aerospace industries that would most certainly arrive should Houston become the nation's ninth licensed Spaceport.

Houston City Council members agreed with that assessment on July 17, 2013, when they voiced their overwhelming support for the pursuit of Spaceport licensing at Ellington Airport. Should the required licensing be secured, the Houston Airport System (HAS) would move forward in establishing the required infrastructure and support facilities needed to accommodate enterprises such as space vehicle assembly, launching of micro-satellites, Astronaut training, zero gravity experimentation and space tourism.

"It's important to realize that this type of work is already taking place today," said Houston Aviation Director Mario C. Diaz. "This is not a conversation based on science fiction or futuristic projections. This is a conversation about how Houston can access and enhance an industry that is already well-established and growing exponentially."

The city of Houston stands as an ideal location for a future Spaceport, featuring a booming economy with a strong aerospace industrial base, a well educated workforce with experience in the high-tech demands of space exploration and plenty of room for growth at a strategically located airport facility.

Situated near the Gulf of Mexico, with ample available space for development, Ellington Airport seems tailor-made for the requirements that are associated with an operating licensed Spaceport. Diaz says licensing from the FAA could come as soon as next year.
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kingkirbythe.... Sep 5, 2013 3:16 AM
Love it!

JoninATX Sep 5, 2013 3:34 AM
I thought the one in New Mexico was massive. This one takes the cake!!!

TowerSpotter Sep 5, 2013 4:52 AM
Here are video animations showing the spaceport

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/3gunfiy7h...tion%20Video#/

mfastx Sep 5, 2013 5:30 AM
Wow this is incredible.

TowerSpotter Sep 8, 2013 4:47 AM
Here are some new Spaceport Rendering's I found.

http://i.imgur.com/x02RAxE.png

http://i.imgur.com/80M2yz0.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/BCQp2Wn.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/hdSAAmB.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/fni3bj9.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/OQFozfn.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/LOi79kb.jpg

TowerSpotter Sep 8, 2013 5:37 AM
The video link where I got the rendering:

https://vimeo.com/73644437

inSaeculaSaeculorum Sep 8, 2013 9:10 AM
looks like a boring office park.

TowerSpotter Sep 8, 2013 9:32 AM
Boring? Even the terminal? I happen to like it, also note that the renderings are not fully complete.

mrnyc Sep 8, 2013 10:36 AM
the terminal is ok, but yeah the rest is pretty outer loop office parky.

the idea behind it is, of course, incredibly exciting.

GuardianChief Sep 8, 2013 11:44 AM
Quote:
looks like a boring office park. .
:koko:

Typical American way of thinking. :rolleyes:

Design looks fantastic and it's a real refreshment in the old and backward America, which unfortunately has become in the last few decades. Indeed, I hope this is just the beginning of modernization of the entire U.S. and the first American step to have the infrastructure that befits a developed economy, not a third world one!

Although knowing how things work in this country, the budget will be trimmed down certainly at some point, meaning the plan could be reduced due to chronic lack of funds! :rolleyes:

Still, amazing project guys! :cheers:

mrnyc Sep 8, 2013 8:09 PM
^ what the hell?? nice 3rd post lol!

Wattleigh May 16, 2023 1:38 PM
Didn't realize there was an existing thread for this development.

There is a website as the Spaceport is part of the Houston Airport System.

A lot has changed as the commercial spaceflight section that is the first phase is nearing completion. The spaces for collaboration between universities and their aerospace training programs are now being planned as part of the second phase, with Texas Southern University's facility being the most prominent at the moment.

Here are a few bits from a December 2022 presentation from the Airport System.

Overall Site Plan

https://i.imgur.com/fcyAiEBh.png

Academic Area and Hub Site for Multiple Institutions. TSU will have a standalone building that is highlighted.

https://i.imgur.com/k4gk0HXh.png

Aerospace Hub

https://i.imgur.com/VaZtybLh.png

https://i.imgur.com/zFDJBkXh.jpg

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/education/article/houston-airports-tsu-aviation-training-facility-18076768.php



Quote:
Houston airports to build $5M training facility for Texas Southern aviation students

Samantha Ketterer,
Staff writer
May 6, 2023
Updated: May 9, 2023 6:08 p.m.

The city of Houston will develop a $5 million training facility for future pilots studying at Texas Southern University.

Houston City Council approved a five-year lease agreement between Houston Airports and the HBCU on Wednesday, setting in motion the development of a 2-acre site at Ellington Airport’s Houston Spaceport.

The new Aviation Education Facility will include a 22,000-square-foot aircraft hangar, as well as training and classroom space, an above-ground aviation fuel tank, vehicle parking and a 20,000 square foot apron, also referred to as the “tarmac.”

“We are honored to be the first tenants in this new lease space,” said Terence Fontaine, TSU’s executive director of aviation. “This opportunity provides an enhanced environment for student learning opportunities as we work to address our nation’s critical aviation needs. Furthermore, it provides space for our fleet of eight aircraft to be housed inside and protected from weather conditions, thus allowing us to preserve them for extended use.”

TSU will have the right of first refusal to renew the contract at the end of five years, Fontaine said. Construction could begin this summer for an estimated opening in April 2024.
Renderings from the architect

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/c...g?format=1500w

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/c...G?format=1500w

Wattleigh May 16, 2023 2:18 PM
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/new...n-17920584.php

https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/32/37/...io3x2_1200.jpg

Quote:
NASA's Super Guppy aircraft lands at Ellington Field with a former space shuttle Multi-Purpose Logistic Module called "Raffaello" on Tuesday, April 25, 2023. This pressurized module, designed to fly in the space shuttle's cargo bay, will be repurposed by Houston-based Axiom Space into a Research and Manufacturing Facility for the commercial space station that it's building.

Axiom Space

Quote:
NASA's Super Guppy delivers space shuttle module for reuse on Axiom Space's commercial station

Andrea Leinfelder,
Staff writer
April 27, 2023
Updated: April 27, 2023 2:35 p.m.

NASA's Super Guppy aircraft landed Tuesday at Ellington Field in Houston with a piece of NASA history that will soon get a new life.

The plane's massive nose swung open to reveal a space shuttle Multi-Purpose Logistics Module. This pressurized module, called Raffaello, was used on four shuttle missions to transfer cargo and supplies to the International Space Station. Houston-based Axiom Space will now use it as a research and manufacturing facility for the commercial space station it's building.

"Large modules capable of withstanding the rigors of the space environment are challenging to build," Axiom Space Chief Technology Officer Matt Ondler said in a statement. "Using an existing module with flight heritage provided Axiom Space the ability to save costs and schedule."

Axiom Space is building a commercial space station, called Axiom Station, that will begin its life attached to the International Space Station. Axiom Space plans to launch its first module, an area with crew quarters and space for research and manufacturing, in late 2025. Then additional structures will be attached to that module. Eventually, they will separate from ISS and become a free-flying commercial space station.

Ondler said the upgraded Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, MPLM, should head into space by 2027 as the third module for Axiom Station.

Wattleigh May 16, 2023 2:30 PM
A couple of excerpts on the recent overall developments from a piece on both the Spaceport and Space Center Houston.

https://communityimpact.com/houston/...lunar-mission/

Quote:
Ready to launch: Houston Spaceport, museum plan expansions as astronauts prep lunar mission

By Jake Magee | 12:02 PM May 15, 2023 CDT
Updated 12:02 PM May 15, 2023 CDT
...


Quote:
Phase 2 will be about 300 acres, and its infrastructure is estimated to cost $80 million. Expected to break ground in the next 12 to 18 months, Phase 2 will include parcels for other aerospace companies to locate to the spaceport. Machuca said spaceport officials are in “serious conversations” with three such undisclosed companies.

In addition, Phase 2 will include land for a hotel, restaurants and retail centers to make the spaceport a destination. The spaceport will eventually include a terminal that will allow residents to fly on hypersonic jets to reach faraway destinations in a fraction of the time it takes today, Machuca said.

Another unique project slated for Phase 2 is the Aerospace Institute.

At the EDGE Center within Phase 1 of the spaceport, San Jacinto College and other higher education institutions help train students how to work in the aerospace industry. The institute will be a continuation of that idea and involve more local colleges to make sure the spaceport has capacity to train the next generation of aerospace workers, Machuca said.
...

Quote:
Spaceport officials are already considering ways to expose the public to the spaceport.

The Houston Airport System, Harris County Precinct 2 and the city of Houston are working together on a project to build a road through the middle of the spaceport. This road would divert traffic from Space Center Boulevard through the spaceport to connect to Hwy. 3, Machuca said.

Today, Space Center Boulevard moves through residential areas, so this new road would not only divert ever-growing traffic through the spaceport but also expose commuters to it, he said.

Additionally, officials are considering a public transit hub to help further connect the spaceport to San Jacinto College where EDGE Center students attend college, the adjacent neutral buoyancy lab where astronauts train, and the Johnson Space Center where NASA employees work, Machuca said.

“We just don’t want to build a manufacturing site that doesn’t contribute positively to our community,” Machuca said.

Scott Spiegel, senior press secretary for Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia, said Garcia recognizes the importance of the spaceport and surrounding area to the region’s future.

“He looks forward to working with the city of Houston and other local partners to determine that appropriate infrastructure needs in the region are met,” Spiegel said in a statement to Community Impact.

“Ellington Bypass Road could prove to be an important piece to the spaceport’s needs, and we look forward to seeing the city of Houston preliminary engineering report.”

Furthermore, work will soon begin on a new taxiway to the northwest of phases 1 and 2. This runway will allow aircraft to take off and land right next to aerospace companies, such as Axiom, which will use the taxiway to unload parts for the space station it is building, Machuca said.

Spaceport officials are on the verge of announcing the contractor for the taxiway project. The plan is to build the northern half of it to start at an estimated cost of $130 million, Machuca said.

Wattleigh May 26, 2023 4:26 PM
Potential Texas A&M Aerospace Research Center at the Spaceport? Perhaps so...

c/o Texan on HAIF who writes...

Quote:
In the state budget released today, $350 million is included in it for the Texas Space Commission. $200 million of that is for Texas A&M to build a facility "adjacent to the Johnson Space Center". I think the most logical place for this is the spaceport since there is already a plan for a university facility there. Otherwise my next guess is Space Center Houston land. The enabling bill, HB 3447 has not yet passed and is in conference committee. If it does not become law, this all goes away.
https://www.houstonarchitecture.com/...d550c1b7aa.png

mhays May 26, 2023 7:32 PM
This is pretty exciting. In 1977 I was promised a science fiction future (by Star Wars) and it hasn't happened, but we're finally making visible progress.

I wish we had a space port in the Seattle area, but it seems that rainy and cloudy doesn't cut it at least in this generation. A good chunk of the industry is here but that's not enough.

As for the campus, at least they could do sidewalks that aren't right up against high-speed stroad lanes.

JManc May 26, 2023 8:42 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by mhays (Post 9954370)
This is pretty exciting. In 1977 I was promised a science fiction future (by Star Wars) and it hasn't happened, but we're finally making visible progress.

I wish we had a space port in the Seattle area, but it seems that rainy and cloudy doesn't cut it at least in this generation. A good chunk of the industry is here but that's not enough.

As for the campus, at least they could do sidewalks that aren't right up against high-speed stroad lanes.
We own a house almost right next door to NASA and this plus the Space Port would be great for the property value.

mrnyc May 27, 2023 4:13 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by JManc (Post 9954464)
We own a house almost right next door to NASA and this plus the Space Port would be great for the property value.
if property values next to a seemingly to become much more active airport rose because of it that would be a first.

JManc May 28, 2023 11:47 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrnyc (Post 9954739)
if property values next to a seemingly to become much more active airport rose because of it that would be a first.
The proposed Texas A&M Aerospace Research Center and JSC are close to the house, the Space Port is several miles away at the existing Ellington Airfield. The impact of a nearby airport was already baked into the property values long ago.

mrnyc May 29, 2023 12:37 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by JManc (Post 9955505)
The proposed Texas A&M Aerospace Research Center and JSC are close to the house, the Space Port is several miles away at the existing Ellington Airfield. The impact of a nearby airport was already baked into the property values long ago.

well thats good to hear because a majorly expanded airport, and err, expanded to outer space levels (!), would not bode well for residential property around it.

Wattleigh Jun 1, 2023 1:00 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wattleigh (Post 9954137)
Potential Texas A&M Aerospace Research Center at the Spaceport? Perhaps so...

c/o Texan on HAIF who writes...



https://www.houstonarchitecture.com/...d550c1b7aa.png
Update c/o the same user on HAIF

Quote:
Both the state budget that includes the money for this (HB 1) and the enabling bill to create the commission and research fund (HB 3447) have been passed by the legislature. The budget is being examined by the comptroller and HB 3447 has been sent to Governor Abbott's desk. He was an early endorser of this plan so it should be a foregone conclusion that he'll sign them both/allow them to become law. We can hopefully look forward to planning and construction to commence on this massive facility in the next two years!
Quote:
Originally Posted by JManc (Post 9955505)
The impact of a nearby airport was already baked into the property values long ago.
Given that the airport has been around for 100+ years, and the non-military part has been owned by the city for about 40, I'd hope so by this point.

Wattleigh Jun 23, 2023 2:10 PM
https://houston.innovationmap.com/ve...661319857.html

Quote:
Houston startup with hypersonic engine tech adds new investor

Natalie Harms
Jun 14, 2023, 12:35 pm

A Houston-based company that's developing an engine that'll enable one-hour global transportation has announced its latest investor.

Venus Aerospace released the news that Silicon Valley venture capital firm, Airbus Ventures, has joined its team of investors. The supersonic combustion engine technology — more akin to a rocket's engine than an airplane's — is revolutionary because allows for travel at a higher elevation. Jet engines rely on air outside of the aircraft to combust, and rocket engines work with a system that supplies air internally.

“Venus has developed the world’s first liquid-propellant rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE) with a double-digit percentage increase in efficiency over standard regular engines, making the hypersonic economy possible,” says Sassie Duggleby, CEO and co-founder of Venus, in a news release. “We’re delighted to bring Airbus Ventures into the Venus family and look forward to growing our collaboration as we harness the future of hypersonic flight.”

Wattleigh Jul 12, 2023 1:51 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...contracts.html

Quote:
Houston Spaceport companies land NASA contracts for upcoming Artemis mission

Ahead of NASA’s return to the moon, two space companies with a Houston presence landed contracts from the space agency.

Houston-based Axiom Space secured an initial $5 million commitment that could grow to $142 million over four years to modify its Artemis III lunar spacesuit design for spacewalking from the International Space Station.

Meanwhile, Charlotte, North Carolina-based Collins Aerospace, a division of Virginia-based Raytheon Technologies Corp. (NYSE: RTX), landed a $5 million contract to modify its own spacesuit design for operating on the moon.

Both contracts are coming out of NASA’s Extravehicular Activity Services, or xEVAS, contract, which has a combined $3.5 billion on offer for spacewalking needs through 2034, according to the agency’s website.

For Axiom, the task order follows its $228.5 million contract to produce the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit, or AxEMU, suit for the Artemis III mission. Axiom revealed the design, which can be used on the lunar surface, in March 2023.

Both Collins and Axiom were previously selected for other xEVAS task awards, and the terms of the contract allow both companies to own the technology they develop and use it for non-NASA applications, according to an agency press release from 2022.

The Artemis III mission is planned for 2025, according to NASA’s website, and will be the first manned mission to the moon in over 50 years. The mission will explore the region near the moon’s south pole, using an Orion spacecraft to bring the crew to the moon.

Wattleigh Aug 21, 2023 7:34 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...e-station.html

Quote:
Axiom Space closes $350M Series C as space projects continue

By Jishnu Nair - Reporter
August 21, 2023, 01:16pm CDT

Houston-based space company Axiom Space closed a $350 million funding round as it prepares to launch one of its biggest commercial space projects in 2026.

The Series C round was led by the Saudi Arabia-based firm Aljazira Capital and South Korea-based Boryung Ltd., Axiom said Aug. 21. This funding takes Axiom’s total raised to $505 million, which the company said is second only to California-based SpaceX among private space companies, citing data from Pitchbook.

Axiom did not disclose what the funding would be used for in its announcement but confirmed it plans to launch the first module of its Axiom Station project in 2026. The project will create a commercial free-flying space station, which will initially be attached to the International Space Station until the planned retirement of the ISS in 2031. Axiom Space is currently building its Houston Spaceport headquarters, which will be used to produce the Axiom Station.

Houston Inno reached out for further details from Axiom Space on the use of its funding.

Wattleigh Oct 2, 2023 3:36 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...port-open.html

https://i.imgur.com/tIwHDPu.jpg

Quote:
Intuitive Machines opens $40M production center at Houston Spaceport ahead of moon mission

By Jishnu Nair - Reporter
September 29, 2023, 02:30pm CDT

Houston-based Intuitive Machines (Nasdaq: LUNR) has completed its Lunar Operations and Production Center and is preparing to send its first lunar lander product to Florida in support of a NASA mission.

Intuitive Machines broke ground on the $40 million center at the Houston Spaceport in December 2021. The center spans 12.5 acres and includes 125,000 square feet of office and production space, including 45-foot cranes intended to move the landers through the facility. Intuitive Machines opened the facility on Sept. 29. Kansas City-based Burns & McConnell designed and built the center.

Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus said during an Aug. 15 earnings call that the company’s Nova Lunar Lander could be ready for a moon landing as early as Nov. 15, though an exact date is conditional on NASA’s launch schedule and the availability of SpaceX rockets. Intuitive Machines would be the first private company to touch down on the moon’s surface.

The planned moon mission, IM-1, is funded by NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, which is intended to reestablish a presence on the moon. Intuitive Machines won the CLPS bid in 2018. NASA is also planning its third Artemis mission, which will be the agency’s first crewed mission to the moon in over 50 years following Apollo 17 in 1972.

Wattleigh Dec 6, 2023 4:14 PM
https://houston.innovationmap.com/pr...665854834.html

Quote:
Houston company collaborates with major fashion designer for spacesuit

John Egan
Oct 9, 2023, 10:30 am

Courtesy of the Prada luxury brand, NASA astronauts are getting an infusion of fashion.

Prada is collaborating with Houston-based aerospace company Axiom Space on the design of spacesuits for NASA’s Artemis III mission to the moon. Astronauts haven’t yet been chosen for the mission, which is set for 2025.

“Prada’s technical expertise with raw materials, manufacturing techniques, and innovative design concepts will bring advanced technologies instrumental in ensuring not only the comfort of astronauts on the lunar surface, but also the much-needed human factors considerations absent from legacy spacesuits,” says Michael Suffredini, co-founder, president, and CEO of Axiom Space.

The spacesuit, called the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU), is geared toward improving astronauts’ flexibility, boosting protection against harsh conditions, and supplying tools for exploration and scientific activities.

Wattleigh Dec 6, 2023 4:29 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...ton-event.html

Quote:
Houston space industry set to skyrocket with Texas A&M institute, Spaceport wins, leaders say

By Jishnu Nair - Reporter
November 09, 2023, 02:28pm CST

Industries across Houston are making strides for the future, and the Bayou City’s aerospace sector is not getting left behind, local leaders said.

During the Greater Houston Partnership’s Future of Space 2023 event this week, Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston; Mario Diaz, director of the Houston Airport System; and Nancy Currie-Gregg, a former astronaut and current professor of practice at Texas A&M University, joined GHP President and CEO Bob Harvey for a panel discussion on the recent moves Houston has made in 2023.

Harvey, who is less than a month away from his retirement as the GHP’s top executive, led the discussion off by highlighting significant funding from the Texas Legislature. During the 88th legislative session, House Bill 3447 created the Texas Space Commission, intended to keep the Lone Star State competitive with other emerging space markets around the country.

From that bill, $350 million — over 56% of its total funding, according to Harvey — went to the Houston area, where Texas A&M University will use the funds to create a new $200 million Texas Space Institute facility near the JSC.

Currie-Gregg, who flew on four Space Shuttle missions for NASA, said the institute was a symbol of collaboration within the aerospace industry that she did not experience as an astronaut.

“Not only do we need the engineering talent [from] around the world, but we need collaborations to really be able to fund the varying goals that we all have in space,” Currie-Gregg said.

Currie-Gregg and Wyche also emphasized the role Houston needs to play in developing its own workforce. Texas A&M’s facility is expected to include labs, shops, classrooms, meeting rooms, control rooms, dedicated spaces for astromaterial curation and sample research, and two large extraterrestrial testbeds when completed.

NASA has also made inroads with other Houston organizations fostering talent and technology. Last year, the agency initiated a tech transfer program with the Ion, allowing local startups to partner with NASA.

Wattleigh Dec 8, 2023 8:00 PM
https://communityimpact.com/houston/...ton-spaceport/

Quote:
Axiom Space cuts ribbon on newest facility at Houston Spaceport

By James T. Norman | 2:16 PM Dec 7, 2023 CST
Updated 2:16 PM Dec 7, 2023 CST

Roughly 18 months after breaking ground, Axiom Space officials cut the ribbon Dec. 7 on their new 400,000-square-foot facility at the Houston Spaceport.

What you need to know

The company is aiming to manufacture the world’s first commercial space station and train private astronauts. The goal is to launch the company’s first module by 2026, and will receive some of the items needed to start building it as soon as 2024, President and CEO Michael Suffredini said at the event.

Those modules will latch onto the International Space Station, officials said in May 2022. Once the ISS is decommissioned around 2030, those modules will detach and latch onto each other and remain as a commercial space station.

Wattleigh Jan 2, 2024 2:21 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...nch-delay.html

Quote:
Intuitive Machines lunar lander launch window shifts after delays

By Jishnu Nair - Reporter
December 21, 2023, 12:22pm CST

Houston-based Intuitive Machines (Nasdaq: LUNR) will have to wait a little longer to land its craft on the moon’s surface next year after its launch window shifted.

According to a release from the company this week, the IM-1 lunar lander mission will now be targeted for a multi-day window that opens no earlier than February 2024, due to projected unfavorable weather conditions. California-based SpaceX will carry Intuitive Machines’ Nova Lunar Lander

IM-1 is slated to land on the south pole of the moon, and the company said that the specific lighting conditions required for the mission was another factor in the launch window changing.

According to Intuitive Machines’ website, the IM-1 payload will include a Navigation Doppler Lidar — a sensor that can provide velocity and range detection during the lander’s descent — from NASA’s Langley Research Center. The craft will also carry a sculpture from the artist Jeff Koons, which will be installed on the moon. The mission itself is funded by NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, which is intended to reestablish a presence on the moon.

Wattleigh Feb 16, 2024 1:50 PM
Near the Spaceport...

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=0#cxrecs_s

Quote:
Texas A&M Space Institute signs on as first tenant in NASA's planned Exploration Park

By Jishnu Nair – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Feb 15, 2024

Texas A&M University's planned Space Institute will be the first tenant in what could be a much bigger piece of NASA's vision for Houston as a space hub.

On Feb. 15, TAMU System Chancellor John Sharp and Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, signed a ground lease committing the two entities to over 30 acres of space on land near the JSC for the $200 million Texas A&M Space Institute announced last year.

The site is part of approximately 240 acres of space that is currently undeveloped and outside JSC's controlled area, which means access restrictions will be looser, Wyche said. NASA hopes to turn the land into a multipurpose development known as Exploration Park. The Space Institute is the development’s first tenant.

"The way NASA is doing business today is different than it was in the past," Wyche said. "We have government programs, commercial programs and then there's private investors and entrepreneurs. So we're laying out a space architecture that allows for us to have all of these communities to intertwine and work together both in space and here on Earth."

NASA is currently in talks with developers to build out Exploration Park, Wyche said. According to a request for proposals from July 2023, the 240-acre site is divided into 10-acre parcels. Future Exploration Park tenants could include international space agencies that are looking for larger presences in Houston, Wyche said.

Wattleigh Feb 22, 2024 2:09 PM
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/new...g-18679808.php
Quote:
Intuitive Machines' Houston-made spacecraft will try to land on the moon today

By Andrea Leinfelder,
Staff writer
Feb 22, 2024

This afternoon, a lander built by Houston's Intuitive Machines could become the first U.S. spacecraft to gently touch down on the moon since the Apollo program more than 50 years ago.

The company, which is also vying to be the first private outfit to complete a soft lunar landing, will attempt the maneuver at 4:30 p.m.

“Everyone just wants to see the United States return to the moon,” Intuitive Machines’ CEO Steve Altemus previously told the Houston Chronicle. “There has been a tremendous outpouring from everyone in the Houston, Texas area — and around the country — pulling for Intuitive Machines to be successful.”

The company's uncrewed lander, named Odysseus, launched Feb. 15 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Intuitive Machines' employees have been monitoring Odysseus around the clock, working eight-hour shifts.

The lander experienced a navigation issue shortly after liftoff but a software patch solved the problem. Odysseus has since continued its journey to the moon (capturing fantastic images of the Earth and the moon along the way) and began circling the celestial body on Wednesday.

This mission, IM-1, has garnered worldwide headlines and even a shout-out on the Las Vegas Sphere from Columbia Sportswear, which placed its heat insulation technology on the lander.

Thursday's landing will have live video commentary aired on NASA and Intuitive Machines' social media platforms and websites.

Wattleigh Feb 23, 2024 12:16 AM
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/new...n-18677914.php

https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/36/30/...io3x2_960.webp

Quote:
Intuitive Machines' Nova-C spacecraft, named Odysseus, passes over the near side of the moon on Feb. 21, 2024.

Intuitive Machines
Quote:
Houston’s Intuitive Machines makes history as first private company to touch down on the moon

By Andrea Leinfelder,
Staff writer
Feb 22, 2024

A Houston delegate is once again on the moon.

Intuitive Machines’ uncrewed lander made history Thursday as the first privately owned spacecraft to touch down on the lunar surface, though the company was still analyzing the condition of the lander.

The environment was tense at a company watch party in Houston as the landing time passed and employees waited to receive communications from their spacecraft. Then Intuitive Machines Chief Technology Officer Tim Crain made an announcement from mission control: "We can confirm, without a doubt, that our equipment is on the surface of the moon and we are transmitting."

The room leapt to its feet. Employees decked in Intuitive Machines gear congratulated one another and celebrated with their children dressed as astronauts.

After four years of preparations, the company’s 14-foot-tall Nova-C lander navigated to a spot near the moon’s South Pole. It was the 24th mission to softly land on the moon since 1966. And with it comes a new era of exploration.

NASA and its Houston-trained astronauts dominated moonshots of the ‘60s and ‘70s. This time, commercial companies and other countries are sharing more of the action.

"To actually have my hands in this, to be a participant in this, it's a wild experience," said Mario Romero, an Intuitive Machines assembly, integration, and test engineer who brought his wife and 8-week-old son to the company's watch party.

Wattleigh Mar 1, 2024 4:37 PM
Another for Exploration Park...

https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/na...park-facility/

Quote:
NASA Selects ACMI as Second Approved Exploration Park Facility

Johnson Space Center Office of Communications
FEB 29, 2024
RELEASE
J24-004
Johnson Space Center

NASA and the American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation (ACMI) signed an agreement Thursday, Feb. 29 to lease underutilized land in a 240-acre Exploration Park at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. ACMI will enable the development of facilities to enable commercial and defense space manufacturing.

The agreement is the second such public/private lease agreement to allow industry and academia to use NASA Johnson land to create facilities for a collaborative development environment that increases commercial access and enhances the United States’ commercial competitiveness in the space and aerospace industries. NASA signed a similar lease with the Texas A&M University System earlier this month.

Calling it the Space Systems Campus, ACMI plans to incorporate an applied research facility partnered with multiple stakeholders across academia, state and local government, the Department of Defense and regional economic development organizations.

“For more than 60 years, NASA Johnson has been the hub of human space exploration,” said NASA Johnson Director Vanessa Wyche. “This Space Systems Campus will be a significant component within our objectives for a robust and durable space economy that will benefit not only the nation’s efforts to explore the Moon, Mars and the asteroids, but all of humanity as the benefits of space exploration research roll home to Earth.”

Wattleigh Mar 7, 2024 1:54 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...e-tenants.html

Quote:
NASA’s Exploration Park is fully leased, but commercial spaceflight tenants are still welcome

By Jishnu Nair - Reporter
March 06, 2024, 04:58pm CST

Just after a Houston-built spacecraft landed on the moon, NASA completed one big leap for the agency by fully leasing a new development for commercial space.

However, the newest tenant plans to lease out its facilities to companies looking for room to develop technology while staying close to NASA’s Houston operations.

Exploration Park is currently 240 acres of undeveloped land, but between Texas A&M University’s $200 million Space Institute and the American Center of Manufacturing and Innovation’s new Space Systems Campus, NASA expects to see considerable growth in Houston’s commercial space economy.

The development is located outside of the Johnson Space Center’s controlled-access area, which JSC Director Vanessa Wyche said was a big selling point for interested tenants. The agency issued a request for proposals for the space in June 2023, according to documents the Houston Business Journal viewed.

“We were looking for someone that’s going to be able to reach out to other government agencies, academia and entrepreneurs,” Wyche said during a March 6 press conference at the Bay Area of Houston Economic Partnership.

Although the Exploration Park space is fully leased, NASA does have facilities at the JSC that periodically open for companies to lease, albeit within a controlled entry area, Wyche added.

Wattleigh Mar 14, 2024 12:41 PM
https://abc13.com/taxiway-lima-appro...port/14501294/

Quote:
New taxiway to connect Houston Spaceport to Ellington Airport gets $16 million project approved

ByJames T. Norman
Thursday, March 7, 2024 7:20PM

HOUSTON, Texas -- The first phase of a taxiway connecting the Houston Spaceport to Ellington Airport is set to be built after Houston City Council approved Phase 1 of construction at its March 6 meeting.

What you need to know

Taxiway L, also referred to as Taxiway Lima, will be a roughly 2-mile stretch of taxiway built out at Ellington Airport, according to maps provided by the Houston Airport System.

The project's first phase was approved on March 6 unanimously and without comment from the Houston City Council.

According to city documents, the taxiway project will be built out in three phases, which in their totality will include:

-Design and construction of the taxiway
-Associated connectors on the south side
-Design and construction of runway shoulders with new edge lights
-Relocation of wind cones
-Addition of all required markings, signage, and lighting
-Drainage improvements

The first phase covers the design and construction of the taxiway itself, along with one of the connectors to a runway, according to agenda documents.

The funds for Phase 1 of the project, totaling $16 million, will come out of the Houston Airport System's enterprise fund, officials said in an email. A portion of the funds is reimbursable through grants from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Put in perspective

The taxiway will act as a general upgrade to the airport, said Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for the Houston Airport System, which oversees the spaceport. However, because of where it's located, it will "open up possibilities for the spaceport," including 400 acres of land for future development.

Houston Spaceport thus far has added three businesses to its park-Collins Aerospace, Intuitive Machines, and Axiom Space-and is looking to continue expanding that count, Szczesniak said. The new taxiway is expected to help them as they grow their locations at the spaceport.

Wattleigh Mar 18, 2024 1:43 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=1#cxrecs_s

Quote:
Johnson Space Center director shares ‘grand vision’ of Exploration Park, Houston space economy

By Jishnu Nair – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Mar 18, 2024

Five years ago, Nasa Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche and her team were on overdrive.

At that time, the International Space Station was only funded until 2024, and the idea of replacing it was still emerging. Many factors had to be considered — the amount of missions on NASA’s calendars, the new space companies that were looking to replace the ISS, and the agency’s workforce, which needed assurance that NASA had a strategy for low-earth orbit.

The answer: follow the path of transitions made at the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida. That means using Exploration Park, NASA’s new 240-acre development just outside of the center, as a hub for final design, development, testing and operations. Exploration Park has already leased two tenants — the Texas A&M University Space Institute and Austin-based American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation or ACMI.

“How do we make ourselves a place where these industry partners want to come? We needed to be looking at that holistically and the workforce needed to understand what that meant for them,” Wyche said in an interview with the Houston Business Journal. “We knew that other NASA facilities had been successful, and that also spurred us to go ahead and start leasing out our land."

ACMI will continue to lease its planned spaces to tenants. CEO John Burer told the HBJ at a media event in March that the company is in discussions with tenants for its buildings, which include room for research and development, testing beds, and office space that can be used by single or multiple tenants.

Wyche said her idea of future tenants include international partners, academic partners, and different companies working on projects relevant to Johnson’s budgetary goals, such as vehicles and installations on the moon’s surface. As an example, Wyche highlighted an unnamed international company working on a pressurized rover that is habitation-capable.

“You’ve got all these installations, your astronauts in their spacesuits, you may have a lander with science payloads,” Wyche said. “Where can you go to make sure all of these things are integrated, that they can share data, robotically interface with each other? Ultimately, our responsibilities include those technologies being potentially spun off to help other solutions right here on Earth.”

Wattleigh Mar 25, 2024 1:32 PM
Looks like the Airport System is looking to land a client for a spot out at Ellington/Houston Spaceport.

https://www.fly2houston.com/biz/oppo...citations/2591

Quote:
The Houston Airport System (HAS) is seeking industry information and input for innovative strategies and approaches from highly qualified firms that can be applied or included in the development of a subsequent Request for Qualifications (for Statement of Qualifications – RFQ) and Request for Proposals (RFP) that support attainment of the EFD/HSP goal to develop and construct an approximately 120,000 sf specified building with potential uses of light manufacturing/assembly for advanced products, high bay, and office space at Ellington Airport (EFD)/Houston Spaceport (HSP). EFD/HSP is open to, but not limited to, business models provided by a firm (or team) with competencies to Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Maintain (DBFOM).

Wattleigh Apr 4, 2024 7:35 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2024/04/04/intuitive-machines-lands-nasa-lunar-vehicle-award.html?cx_testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_27&cx_artPos=0#cxrecs_s


https://media.bizj.us/view/img/12726...moon-racer.jpg

Quote:
Intuitive Machines lands part of $4.6B NASA lunar vehicle award

By Jishnu Nair – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Apr 4, 2024

The Houston space company that made history this year could be playing a key role in NASA’s manned return to the moon.

Intuitive Machines Inc. (Nasdaq: LUNR) was named as one of three recipients for NASA’s Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services contract, which has a combined maximum potential value of $4.6 billion for all awards to multiple companies. For Intuitive Machines, the initial award is valued at $30 million for a feasibility assessment, which will take a year to complete.

The vehicle will be used for NASA's Artemis III mission, which is the agency's first return to the moon since 1972. That mission is anticipated to launch no earlier than 2026. Intuitive Machines' initial award could be followed by further task orders with higher dollar amounts for a term of up to 10 years, the company said April 3.

“This procurement strategically aligns with the company’s flight-proven capability to deliver payloads to the surface of the moon under the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, further solidifying our position as a proven commercial contractor in lunar exploration,” Intuitive Machines CEO Stephen Altemus said in a news release.

Altemus also confirmed that the potential lunar terrain vehicle, or LTV, would be usable for non-NASA purposes as the contract allows Intuitive Machines to keep ownership. Trent Martin, vice president of space systems at Intuitive Machines, said the vehicle can also be controlled both by astronauts and remotely.

"Since we anticipate being able to drive the vehicle remotely from our control room in Houston, we could either perform services for commercial customers or even launch and land commercial payloads from the Earth to the moon and then use the LTV to deploy or perform activities on the moon with the LTV," Martin told the HBJ via email. "NASA will pay for services, both with astronauts driving and with remote operations, but they will not use the LTV the entire time."

Intuitive Machines will be producing the contract through its Moon Reusable Autonomous Crewed Exploration Rover, or Moon RACER, program. The developing craft has the model number Nova-D, and Intuitive Machines selected Austrian-based AVL, Virginia-based The Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) and Virginia-based Northrop Grumman Corp. (NYSE: NOC) as partners. The program was announced in the first quarter of 2023.

Wattleigh Apr 17, 2024 1:27 PM
c/o hindesky on HAIF

https://i.imgur.com/Zwsmz0Th.png
https://i.imgur.com/tkXpK5rh.png

https://i.imgur.com/SOq06kBh.png

Wattleigh Feb 28, 2025 1:57 PM
https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/a...s-exploration/

https://cdn.houstonpublicmedia.org/w...0x845.jpg.webp

Texas A&M University Space Institute Director Nancy Currie-Gregg plants a flag for the new institute during a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024.

Quote:
Texas A&M’s new Houston space institute to pave way for future moon, Mars exploration

Construction near NASA’s Johnson Space Center is expected to begin in January with a projected completion date of October 2026.

Kyle McClenagan | Posted onNovember 18, 2024, 4:50 PM (Last Updated: November 19, 2024, 12:31 PM)

Members of the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents gathered in a grassy field near Houston last Friday for the groundbreaking of the university's new space institute.

The $200 million facility will be built near NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and will focus on training astronauts for potential future trips to the moon and Mars. The Texas A&M Space Institute was approved last year following the passage of House Bill 3447. The bill secured a $350 million investment, of which $200 million was allocated for the new facility.

Texas A&M regent Bill Mahomes spoke at the event and said the university was equipped for the task.

"Last year, I approved the creation of the Texas A&M University Space Institute to strengthen the role of Texas as a global leader in the new space economy," he said. "This faculty will be vital for partnerships — research and commercial, that will help Texas businesses as we and NASA stay at the forefront of this final frontier."

Mahomes said the facility will assist in NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the moon. The program is named after the goddess Artemis who is the twin sister of the god Apollo in Greek Mythology. Apollo was also the name given to NASA’s first series of visits to the lunar surface.

"So, here is to hoping that Artemis can match or surpass her brother," Mahomes said. "In any event, at Texas A&M and the Texas A&M system, we are strapped in and ready to do our part."

Wattleigh Feb 28, 2025 2:09 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...-facility.html

https://media.bizj.us/view/img/12881...c-3-1-2292.jpg

Quote:
Astronaut training co. Waypoint 2 Space to build Space Experience Center at Exploration Park near NASA

By Jishnu Nair – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Nov 25, 2024

A new facility to allow the general public to experience astronaut training is in the works near NASA Johnson Space Center.
Waypoint 2 Space, a company that has received Federal Aviation Association licensing for astronaut training courses, is in discussions to build a 35,000-square-foot training facility known as the Space Experience Center on the new Exploration Park development outside JSC, according to President and CEO Kevin Heath.

The new building will be open to the public with the goal of adding an interactive component for guests at Space Center Houston, the visitor arm of NASA Johnson Space Center. After the first building opens, future facilities could be franchised out, similar to private skydiving experience iFly, Heath said.

“The one thing I've always wanted to do was figure out a way to get me to space,” Heath said in an interview with the Houston Business Journal. “But I'm not rich, and I'm not brilliant. So, I started looking around, trying to figure out an area that I could add value and cater to people like me.”

Heath added that he raised $1 million in a 2021 seed round., and the company is offering 6% Convertible Preferred Series A shares totaling $10 million. Waypoint 2 Space has also applied for a Texas Aerospace Research and Space Economy Consortium, or TARSEC, grant, which pulls from $150 million in state funding for Texas-based aerospace proposals.

Heath is targeting a March 2025 groundbreaking for the building, which would open in 2026. That timeline would line up with the nearby Texas A&M University Space Institute, a $200 million building that broke ground this month with the goal of testing commercial space landers.

Earlier this year, NASA announced that Austin-based ACMI will develop over 200 acres of land at Exploration Park, which is incentivized to bring commercial companies closer to JSC. Heath confirmed that ACMI would be the company building the Space Experience Center and that the parties have signed a letter of intent.

Wattleigh Feb 28, 2025 2:16 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...xpansions.html

Quote:
Intuitive Machines to expand facility by 50%, other Houston Spaceport tenants to follow

By Jishnu Nair – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Dec 5, 2024

The facility where a historic spacecraft was built will be expanded, and the Houston Airport System’s new director promised more on the horizon for space companies.

During the annual State of the Airports event, Jim Szczesniak, director of the Houston Airport System, and Jack “2fish” Fischer, vice president of production and operations at Houston-based Intuitive Machines Inc. (Nasdaq: LUNR), confirmed that Intuitive Machines will expand the capacity of its Lunar Production and Operations Center at the Houston Spaceport by 50%.

Kansas City-based Burns & McDonnell will continue to work with Intuitive Machines on the project. Burns & McDonnell built the current LPOC, which is owned by the city of Houston and leased to Intuitive Machines. The site, which spans 12.5 acres, opened in 2023.

“We do everything step by step; we do incremental growth, but we have to scale,” Fischer told the Houston Business Journal in an interview. “So as we continue to win contracts and grow our production capability as well as our number of employees, we need more parking spaces, we need more production facilities, we need more office space and storage facilities for some of the ground support equipment that we need to build those spacecraft.”

In a statement provided to the HBJ, Burns & McDonnell said the specifics of the project are currently unknown.

“We are committed to supporting Intuitive Machines with all their facility needs as their business evolves,” Josh Foerschler, aerospace, defense and space business development leader at Burns & McDonnell, said in the statement. “While the exact scope and size of the project are still unknown at this early stage, we provide tailored solutions to yield efficiency, adaptability and success in the dynamic space industry.”

Wattleigh Feb 28, 2025 2:18 PM
https://houston.innovationmap.com/in...671015229.html

Quote:
Houston space company lands latest NASA deal to advance lunar logistics

John Egan

Jan 29, 2025, 2:45 pm

Houston-based space exploration, infrastructure, and services company Intuitive Machines has secured about $2.5 million from NASA to study challenges related to carrying cargo on the company’s lunar lander and hauling cargo on the moon. The lander will be used for NASA’s Artemis missions to the moon and eventually to Mars.

“Intuitive Machines has been methodically working on executing lunar delivery, data transmission, and infrastructure service missions, making us uniquely positioned to provide strategies and concepts that may shape lunar logistics and mobility solutions for the Artemis generation,” Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus says in a news release.

“We look forward to bringing our proven expertise together to deliver innovative solutions that establish capabilities on the [moon] and place deeper exploration within reach.”

Intuitive Machines will soon launch its lunar lander on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to deliver NASA technology and science projects, along with commercial payloads, to the moon’s Mons Mouton plateau. Lift-off will happen at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida within a launch window that starts in late February. It’ll be the lander’s second trip to the moon.

Wattleigh Feb 28, 2025 2:21 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...asa-lease.html

Quote:
JLL to lease 207-acre Exploration Park development outside NASA

The new commercial space development outside Johnson Space Center has a leasing partner.

JLL (NYSE: JLL) said Feb. 25 that it will oversee leasing of Austin-based ACMI Properties' space at Exploration Park, which spans over 200 acres. The brokerage team overseeing Exploration Park leasing for JLL consists of Senior Managing Director Richard Quarles, Vice President David Holland and Associate Angela Watford.

“There is no better place for the future of space exploration than NASA’s Johnson Space Center, a site that represents excellence in space discovery,” Quarles said in a press release. “We are thrilled to be a part of this development and know this will be a one-of-a-kind opportunity for businesses looking to make a lasting impact, whether it be through research and development or manufacturing.”

The announcement comes approximately a year after the Houston Business Journal first reported that ACMI had been selected to lease the 207 acres at Exploration Park, which is just outside the Johnson Space Center's controlled access area. Vanessa Wyche, Johnson Space Center’s director at the time, told the HBJ that NASA moved its controlled access area to free up room for private space companies to operate near JSC.

Initial concepts for ACMI’s buildings were unveiled last year, targeting a groundbreaking date in 2025 and a completion date of 2026. JLL confirmed both those timelines in its press release, with construction set to begin in the second quarter and the project expected to deliver in Q4 2026.

ACMI is planning for up to 22 buildings with a range of sizes from 15,000 to 500,000 square feet. However, those buildings could be replaced with a build-to-suit concept, JLL said. Facilities would include 24-30 feet of clear height for research and development, laboratories, clean rooms, offices, light assembly and manufacturing.

Wattleigh Mar 6, 2025 1:48 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=4#cxrecs_s

https://media.bizj.us/view/img/12934...ndering-11.png

Quote:
A rendering of the Starlab space station concept
Quote:
With NASA review cleared, Starlab on track for 2029 space station launch


By Jishnu Nair – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Mar 5, 2025

Another Houston company is a big step closer to launching its own space station in the next few years.

After the Starlab space station concept cleared its NASA preliminary design review this week, Starlab Space LLC is eyeing a 2029 launch for the station, CEO Tim Kopra told the Houston Business Journal.

But Kopra believes there’s room for more than one Starlab in low Earth orbit, especially with the International Space Station’s impending retirement. He flew several missions to the ISS, logging 244 days in space, and said his flight experience taught him several lessons that the company incorporated in Starlab's design.

“Human spaceflight is very evolutionary,” Kopra said. “You want to make sure that you take those lessons and implement those as closely as we can. We want to be very (capital expense)- and (operating expense)-efficient, which mean we take the best lessons learned and modify them where needed.

“A second Starlab would be about two-thirds of the cost [of the first] because all the nonrecurrent engineering is complete, the ground systems are in place, (and) we will have perfected our assembly, integration and testing. We think there’s certainly room for a second, third and fourth Starlab in the future.”

The federal government’s preliminary design review, or PDR, process ensures that projects fall within cost and schedule constraints.

Kopra said Starlab could be up for a critical design review — the next part of the government process — toward the end of 2025 or early next year. Passing the PDR allows the company to begin acquiring long-lead items for assembly of Starlab, secure in the knowledge that the design decisions have been vetted.

Starlab has a Space Act Agreement with Johnson Space Center that NASA initially awarded to Houston-based Nanoracks, which is owned by Starlab Space’s parent company, Denver-based Voyager Technologies.

Nanoracks' 2021 agreement was valued at $160.5 million. However, one of the companies awarded a Space Act Agreement at the time, Northrop Grumman, withdrew its separate entry from the process and partnered with Starlab Space, taking the company’s total from NASA up to $217.5 million. Starlab’s other commercial partners include Airbus, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, MDA Space, Hilton and Palantir Technologies.

Starlab Space also was one of the first Houston-area companies to secure a Space Exploration and Aerospace Research Fund grant from the Texas Space Commission last month. The company’s grant was worth up to $15 million.

Wattleigh Mar 6, 2025 2:11 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=4#cxrecs_s

Quote:
Axiom Space and Red Hat partner for ISS-based data center mission

By Jishnu Nair – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Mar 6, 2025

A Houston space business is teaming up with a major tech company to target a growing subsector.

Axiom Space, which is designing a commercial space station to replace the International Space Station, and Raleigh, North Carolina-based Red Hat Inc. will partner for Axiom Space’s Data Center Unit-1 (AxDCU-1), which is set to launch this spring to the International Space Station. A more specific launch date was not immediately available.

The partnership continues a trend of companies looking skyward for data center transmission and storage services, such as orbital data centers, or ODCs. Axiom Space said in a March 5 press release that Red Hat Device Edge, a platform geared toward devices with limited computing resources, power, cooling or connectivity, will power the AxDCU-1.

“Infusing terrestrial-grade cloud solutions into ODCs will enable users to seamlessly transition and enhance their terrestrial workloads to orbit while leveraging the lower latency and increased security inherent with ODCs,” Jason Aspiotis, global director of in-space data and security with Axiom Space, said in the release.

Aspiotis told the Houston Business Journal that AxDCU-1 will fly with the ISS, which is approaching retirement by the end of the decade. Axiom Space said there is nothing to announce currently about whether Red Hat would partner with Axiom Station, the company’s planned space station replacement. The company also said it is currently unknown whether its upcoming Ax-4 crewed mission will be working with the data center.

Use cases for Axiom Space's data-processing abilities could range from multifactor authentication to space weather analysis, off-planet data backups and disaster recovery for critical infrastructure on Earth, the company said.

Early Axiom Space customers could include governments operating satellite network “constellations” that are already generating data, as well as private and public entities looking for the security of space-based data storage, Aspiotis said. As the cost of space launches decreases, more sectors — like telecommunications, financial services, internet-of-things providers and autonomous mobility providers — could add to that customer base, he added.

For now, Aspiotis said, orbital data centers won’t be able to match Earth-based data centers in terms of storage — but in the long term, especially as data centers demand increasing amounts of energy and real estate, ODCs could catch up.

Wattleigh Apr 11, 2025 4:06 PM
Is this something? Not the Spaceport/JSC, but Baytown isn't exactly far away.

https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/0...ions-to-texas/

Quote:
To avoid the Panama Canal, Relativity Space may move some operations to Texas

"We are exploring options to expand our manufacturing capabilities."

Eric Berger – Mar 14, 2025 12:51 PM

As he consolidates control over Relativity Space, new owner and chief executive Eric Schmidt is planning significant changes at the launch company, including a likely move to the Lone Star State.

Schmidt's recent acquisition of the California-based company, which has largely evolved away from its 3D-printing origins to becoming a more conventional rocket developer, has solved Relativity's primary need. The company has been in a cash crunch for months, and being acquired by one of the 50 wealthiest people on the planet provides financial stability.

Big rocket, big logistics

As Ars reported last September, the company's initial plan was to manufacture first stages at its massive factory in Long Beach, California, and ship them through the Panama Canal to a test site at the Stennis Space Center in southern Mississippi. From there, they would be moved by barge again to the launch site in Florida. The total shipping cost to get a first stage to Florida and a barge back to Long Beach was at one point estimated to be as high as $3.45 million.

However, two sources have indicated that Relativity Space will likely move a significant portion of its Terran R manufacturing to Baytown, Texas. This is a small city just east of Houston that, as its name suggests, is located on a bay. In the Houston metro area, Baytown is known for its ample petrochemical facilities, located on the Houston Ship Channel, which offers easy access to Galveston Bay and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico.

Although Baytown does not have any historical affinity with aerospace, its location on the water offers far more straightforward access to Relativity's test facilities in Mississippi and its launch site in Florida. There are other benefits. The cost of living in the region is far lower than Southern California, and due to the location of Johnson Space Center just 20 miles away, there is a reservoir of space talent in the region.

A spokesperson for Relativity Space did not confirm the move.

"As we scale Terran R production to meet growing customer demand, we are exploring options to expand our manufacturing capabilities," the spokesperson said. "Our focus is on ensuring we have the right footprint to achieve the production cadence required to serve our customers."

Wattleigh Sep 4, 2025 8:24 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...ar-mining.html

https://media.bizj.us/view/img/13045...eharvester.jpg

Quote:
Lunar mining co. Interlune finalizes $4.8M Texas Space Commission grant, preps Houston expansion

By Jishnu Nair – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Sep 4, 2025

The first tenant in Texas A&M University's $200 million space-testing hub said it’s ready to begin its move to Houston with the help of state money.

Interlune — a Seattle-based startup that wants to mine moon dirt, also known as regolith — confirmed it has finalized a $4.8 million grant to move into the Texas Space Institute. The company will occupy another location in Houston while the Space Institute's construction continues, though representatives for Interlune declined to disclose where that will be.

Interlune’s chief scientist, Elizabeth Frank, will lead the company’s Houston team, where Interlune will create lunar regolith simulants to test its helium harvester, a vehicle designed to extract helium-3 from the moon’s surface.

“Lunar regolith is different from dirt here on Earth, so a highest-fidelity testing environment on Earth is of tremendous value to Interlune and the entire lunar exploration community,” Rob Meyerson, Interlune co-founder and CEO, said in a press release. “This support from the Texas Space Commission to develop novel lunar regolith simulants will create a massive U.S. advantage in space innovation.”

Wattleigh Sep 25, 2025 2:29 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=3#cxrecs_s

https://media.bizj.us/view/img/12796...per-rover.webp

Quote:
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin was sole bidder for $190M NASA contract to deliver Houston-built VIPER rover to moon

By Jishnu Nair – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Sep 24, 2025

A space company belonging to one of the world’s richest men will ferry a Houston-built rover to the moon in 2027.

NASA awarded a $190 million task order to Blue Origin last week to ferry the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER, to the moon’s surface. The award caps off a yearlong saga after NASA initially pulled the plug on VIPER in July 2024 and began seeking private industry proposals to fly the craft.

A NASA spokesperson told the Houston Business Journal this week that Kent, Washington-based Blue Origin was the sole bidder from the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services vendor pool to fly VIPER. Blue Origin is owned by Jeff Bezos, the founder and former CEO of Amazon.

“NASA solicited proposals from the CLPS vendor pool and received one proposal for this delivery,” NASA said in a statement. “The agency evaluated the submission in accordance with standard procurement procedures and determined it met NASA’s requirements, leading to this award.”

Under the terms of the deal, Blue Origin will fly VIPER using its Blue Moon Mark 1, or MK1, lunar lander, which is built and integrated in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Blue Origin has not flown the Mark 1 yet, but it will launch a $6.1 million CLPS mission using MK1 later this year.

A Blue Origin representative directed the HBJ to statements the company made on X, formerly Twitter, describing MK-1 as “well-suited” for VIPER. NASA said its intent is not to physically modify the rover, which was assembled in June 2024 at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, so any needed modifications would have to be made to Blue Origin’s lander.


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