HOUSTON — A third private space company is now up and running at the Houston Spaceport.
Axiom Space cut the ribbon on its new, long-term headquarters Thursday at Ellington Airport, which houses the spaceport, after breaking ground in May 2022.
“Never has the spaceship been actually manufactured in Houston, and so this is a historical moment for the city,” said Michael Suffredini, CEO of Axiom Space.
It’s where the company plans to train commercial astronauts and develop the world’s first commercial space station. It will replace the current International Space Station, which NASA plans to retire by 2031.
“It will become a place for space tourism, training of astronauts, things like experiments in outer space,” said Mario Diaz, executive director of Houston Airport System.
More than 2,000 employees will eventually occupy Axiom’s headquarters, which will expand to include training facilities, a mission control center, and testing labs. Two other Houston Spaceport anchor tenants, Collins Aerospace and Intuitive Machines, also have contracts with NASA.
“In terms of making sure that Houston stays at the forefront of space exploration, that’s pretty much guaranteed by what’s happening here,” said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.
Lawmakers believe it’s also at the forefront of Houston’s economic future.
“Look at the police department,” said Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin, whose City Council district includes the spaceport. “They wear a patch. It doesn’t say ‘Energy Capital of the World’, it says ‘Space City’. The future of the city of Houston is in aeronautics and aviation.”
Mayor Turner also believes having these companies is a win for local students. He expects a related item involving Texas Southern University’s aviation program on the next City Council agenda.