Bay Area Edition | April 2025

BY JAMES T. NORMAN

Zooming in

Looking ahead

240+ acres

$200M in state funding to build space institute

1.5M square feet of space

Exploration Park has long been billed as a center that will feature manufacturing, research and testing in a variety of areas related to human spaceight, project ocials said. From equipment and medical supplies, to testing on a true-to-life Mars scape, research and development at Exploration Park will be wide ranging, both private and public ocials said. Steve Koerner, acting director for Johnson Space Center, said he expects the area to “become a hub” for space-related development. However, throughout recent years, state, aca- demic and business ocials have said the goal of the site is to use the future developments at Exploration Park to help make life better for humans on earth. New power sources, manufacturing pro- cesses, food and cleaner environments can all be obtained through developing space technol- ogy, according to NASA’s website.

Work on the space institute and other buildings at Exploration Park should wrap up in late 2026, project ocials said. Meanwhile, nding tenants will happen in tandem with build-out, JLL ocials said. Many of the buildings will be built-to-suit, meaning some tenants will likely enter the picture early in development. Ocials did not conrm any specic tenants as of press time. JLL ocials said they are taking a “global approach” to lling the space and could include businesses and entities that specialize in robotics, aerospace engineering, critical defense, manufacturing and research, among others. “The park will soon be home to facilities driving spaceight innovation for both Texas and the nation,” Koerner said. “I’m excited to see the developments that arise from Exploration Park and to support the next generation of spaceight professionals.”

22 buildings ranging from 15K-500K square feet in size

SOURCES: AMERICAN CENTER FOR MANUFACTURING & INNOVATION, JLL, JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, TEXAS A&MCOMMUNITY IMPACT

“This is not just about creating technologies and equipment for the few people like me that have the extreme privilege of leaving the earth. This is about what we can do in space to enable and better the life of all Texans.” NANCY CURRIEGREGG,

DIRECTOR, TAMU SPACE INSTITUTE