Houston space tech companies land $25 million from Texas commission
Out Of This World
Two Houston aerospace companies have collectively received $25 million in grants from the Texas Space Commission.
Starlab Space picked up a $15 million grant, and Intuitive Machines gained a $10 million grant, according to a Space Commission news release.
Starlab Space says the money will help it develop the Systems Integration Lab in Webster, which will feature two components — the main lab and a software verification facility. The integration lab will aid creation of Starlab’s commercial space station.
“To ensure the success of our future space missions, we are starting with state-of-the-art testing facilities that will include the closest approximation to the flight environment as possible and allow us to verify requirements and validate the design of the Starlab space station,” Starlab CEO Tim Kopra said in a news release.
Starlab’s grant comes on top of a $217.5 million award from NASA to help eventually transition activity from the soon-to-be-retired International Space Station to new commercial destinations.
Intuitive Machines is a space exploration, infrastructure and services company. Among its projects are a lunar lander designed to land on the moon and a lunar rover designed for astronauts to travel on the moon’s surface.
The grants come from the Space Commission’s Space Exploration and Aeronautics Research Fund, which recently awarded $47.7 million to Texas companies.
Other recipients were:
- Cedar Park-based Firefly Aerospace, which received $8.2 million
- Brownsville-based Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), which received $7.5 million
- Van Horn-based Blue Origin, which received $7 million
Gwen Griffin, chair of the commission, says the grants “will support Texas companies as we grow commercial, military, and civil aerospace activity across the state.”
State lawmakers established the commission in 2023, along with the Texas Aerospace Research & Space Economy Consortium, to bolster the state’s space industry.
- Texas Space Commission launches, Houston execs named to leadership ›
- Houston space company lands latest NASA deal to advance lunar logistics ›
- Houston space tech co. rolls out futuristic lunar rover for NASA's Artemis missions ›
- Houston space co. secures $4.8B NASA contract to provide communications, navigation services ›
- NASA awards $30M to Houston space tech company to develop lunar rover ›
- METECS lands $150M NASA contract for space vehicles, robots - InnovationMap ›