Push to Relocate NASA Headquarters to Houston Gains Momentum

When NASA's current lease expires in 2028, 29 Republican lawmakers from Texas have requested that the White House relocate the agency's offices from Washington, D.C., to the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston. The group wrote on April 16 that relocating its headquarters to "Space City" would save money, streamline operations, and bring leadership back to NASA's operational roots.

Democrats led by Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Brian Babin, the heads of important science and commerce committees in Congress, stated that JSC already has the largest workforce at NASA, with more than 12,000 employees working on its 1,620-acre campus and over 52,000 jobs in the public and private sectors across Texas. They stated that Mission Control, the astronaut corps, and several business space partners were already based in Houston.

Lawmakers stated that the current position in Washington, D.C., leads to micromanagement by the government and prevents NASA's leaders from overseeing mission-critical operations. They also noted that the cost of living in Texas was less than half that of the D.C. metro area and that the state's business space industry was experiencing growth. 

Texas is home to big operations for companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Axiom Space. The state also just formed the Texas Space Commission to encourage growth in the aerospace industry.

The politicians wrote that Houston is the perfect place for NASA to return to its primary mission of exploring space, and it would cost significantly less to operate there than in Washington, D.C.

If the move goes through, it could create thousands of new jobs in the Houston area. Some local leaders, such as Nassau Bay Mayor Phil Johnson, say the impact on the economy would be substantial.

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