The impact of the Aerospace and Aviation sector on the 4th largest city in the U.S. cannot be overstated. A strong aviation infrastructure allows the Houston Airport System to service over 58 million passengers and contribute to a thriving business aviation community.

From an aerospace perspective, Space City looks to the future as the Texas Space Commission awards $200 million to Texas A&M University for the construction of a state-of-the-art research and training facility adjacent to NASA's Johnson Space Center, further propelling the region's momentum in revolutionizing space exploration. Combined with recently announced plans for Exploration Park at JSC and 50 acres of new construction at the Houston Spaceport, Houston continues to be a driving force in the new Space Economy by bringing together NASA, private sector companies, global space agencies, and a diverse talent pool to collaborate on new technologies and initiatives.

Houston is home to 500 companies and institutions involved in aircraft or space vehicle manufacturing, research and technology or other air transportation support activities. Of the 50 largest aerospace manufacturing companies in the U.S., 10 have a presence in the Houston region.

Houston’s total trade in aircraft, spacecraft, and parts totaled $2.9 billion in 2019, and aircraft, spacecraft, and parts were Houston’s 11th largest internationally traded commodity.

For more than 50 years, NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) has led the United States and the world on a continuing adventure of human exploration, discovery, and achievement. In its early days, JSC led the Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab projects; it has since evolved to become NASA’s lead center for:

• Life sciences research and application
• Astronaut selection and training
• Spaceflight Mission Control and ISS operations
• Spaceflight program management
• Large-scale spacecraft development
• Robotics and artificial intelligence

Occupying 1,620 acres southeast of downtown Houston in the Clear Lake area, the Johnson Space Center’s $1.5 billion complex serves as an aerospace hub that continues to play a vital role in powering the U.S. into the 21st century through technological innovations and scientific discoveries.

Houston Spaceport is an FAA-licensed, urban commercial spaceport offering unprecedented access to a thriving aerospace community. In addition to serving as a future launch and landing site for suborbital, reusable launch vehicles, Houston Spaceport offers laboratory office space, including technology incubator space and large-scale hardware production facilities. Situated at Ellington Airport, the spaceport is unique among other federally licensed spaceports for its integration with one of the world’s largest international travel infrastructures.