BY JAMES T. NORMAN
Also of note
What’s next?
Working with NASA is the Houston Spaceport, which currently hosts three companies: Axiom Space, Intuitive Machines and Collins Aerospace. All three are slated to play pivotal roles in the space industry in the coming years, industry o - cials said. While Intuitive Machines just launched a payload to the moon, which landed Feb. 22, with materials to study the lunar surface, Axiom is looking to build the world’s rst commercial space station. The plan is to assemble it at its Houston location over the next few years. To assist in those e orts, the latest development for the spaceport is Taxiway Lima, Szczesniak said. The taxiway will connect the companies to Ellington Field Airport, allowing for international deliveries to be taken directly to the companies at the spaceport. It will come out of Houston Airport System’s enterprise fund, costing $16 million. The taxiway is also one piece of the larger puzzle to develop the spaceport into a destination, which
Murphy described the current state of the industry as almost a “golden era” of space. One possible hangup, however, is growth outpacing the available workers, she said. As a result, e orts to increase training are a priority. San Jacinto College’s EDGE Center, for example, is o ering aerospace courses to help train future workers in the area. “I think there’s an opportunity from universities and local community colleges that have gotten grant money to increase that training,” Murphy said.
The upcoming Taxiway Lima connects Houston Spaceport to Ellington Field Airport.
Ellington Field Airport
CLEAR LAKE CITY BLVD.
3
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Industry timeline
2024: HERA Campaign 7 begins at JSC, with four simulated Mars missions planned for the year Summer 2024: Space Institute to potentially break ground at Johnson Space Center 2025: Gateway, the world’s rst space station to orbit around the moon, expected to launch Spring 2025: New yearlong simulated Mars mission to begin 2030s: NASA will decommission International Space Station; Axiom Space will also look to launch their own space station 2026: Taxiway Lima to be built out September 2026: Artemis III to land crew near lunar south pole September 2025: Artemis II mission to take a crew of astronauts around the moon (delayed from October 2024)
2024
could mean developments spanning beyond just aerospace, Szczesniak said. “Houston’s got a tremendous [reputation] historically, but also tremendous potential going forward,” Szczesniak said.
2025
What they’re saying
2026
“In a nutshell, Houston is Space City, and there was an understanding for Houston that we need to take advantage of
“I think we’re going to continue growing. The private and public partnerships … have been such a successful model. …
that. … By 2040ish, [industry leaders] think space might be a trillion-dollar industry.” JIM SZCZESNIAK, DIRECTOR OF AVIATION FOR THE HOUSTON
It opens up the entrepreneurial spirit here for these companies that are small and nimble.” STEPHANIE MURPHY, OWNER OF AEGIS AEROSPACE, WHICH
2027
OPERATES TESTING FACILITIES IN SPACE
AIRPORT SYSTEM, WHICH OVERSEES THE SPACEPORT
2030
SOURCES: AXIOM SPACE, HOUSTON SPACEPORT, NASA COMMUNITY IMPACT
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