| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, The State of Texas has played a central role in the |
|
|
history and advancement of space exploration, and its continuing |
|
|
leadership in the space industry remains a proud and defining |
|
|
element of the state's identity; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Texas is home to more than 2,000 aerospace, |
|
|
aviation, and defense businesses, including commercial spaceports |
|
|
operating in Houston, Midland, McGregor, Van Horn, and Boca Chica; |
|
|
long a cornerstone of America's space program, NASA's Lyndon |
|
|
B. Johnson Space Center in Houston serves as the hub for astronaut |
|
|
training and oversees mission control for the International Space |
|
|
Station, which in 2025 is celebrating 25 years of continuous human |
|
|
presence in space; among the Lone Star State's other major |
|
|
aerospace landmarks is the Midland International Air & Space Port, |
|
|
the first airport in the U.S. with both passenger air service and a |
|
|
commercial spaceport license; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The robust space industry in Texas generates |
|
|
$11 billion per year in gross product; the state's aerospace, |
|
|
defense, and aviation sectors together employ 145,000 Texans, and |
|
|
18 of the world's 20 leading aerospace companies have operations in |
|
|
Texas; NASA alone invests more than $2.5 billion in the state |
|
|
annually, while providing over 10,000 contract and civil service |
|
|
jobs; the agency also engages some 2,000 students and educators |
|
|
through its Texas High School Aerospace Scholars program and other |
|
|
statewide STEM initiatives, and it facilitates research and |
|
|
development through partnerships with Texas universities; the |
|
|
state's space-related economy is further bolstered by Space Center |
|
|
Houston and the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership's Space |
|
|
Alliance Technology Outreach Program, which each generate more than |
|
|
$200 million in economic impact; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Demonstrating its commitment to the continued |
|
|
strength of the space industry, the State of Texas launched the |
|
|
Texas Space Commission with the goal of driving commercial |
|
|
aerospace growth and fostering innovation in the areas of space |
|
|
exploration, research, and development; alongside this endeavor, |
|
|
the state established the Texas Aerospace Research and Space |
|
|
Economy Consortium and the Space Exploration and Aeronautics |
|
|
Research Fund to support research efforts and award grants to |
|
|
businesses, government entities, and nonprofits involved in space |
|
|
exploration and science; funding provided by the State Legislature |
|
|
has also helped advance The Texas A&M University System's endeavors |
|
|
in space research and technology development, and construction is |
|
|
currently underway on the Texas A&M University Space Institute in |
|
|
the Johnson Space Center's new Exploration Park; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The commercialization of various NASA space |
|
|
technologies has fueled significant innovation in Texas; the agency |
|
|
continues to be at the forefront of advancements in aeronautics, |
|
|
space science, and exploration through initiatives such as the |
|
|
Artemis campaign, the Gateway space station, the Extravehicular |
|
|
Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program, and the Human Landing |
|
|
System program, which is enabling SpaceX and Blue Origin's |
|
|
commercial lunar landing services; additionally, NASA's Commercial |
|
|
Lunar Payload Services contracts are empowering companies such as |
|
|
Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines to deliver payloads to the |
|
|
lunar surface in March 2025; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Through ongoing investments in the state's space |
|
|
economy, Texas is charting new frontiers in an industry that holds |
|
|
limitless potential for the future of humanity, and the observance |
|
|
of Space Day serves to promote awareness of its importance to the |
|
|
continued vitality of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 89th Texas Legislature |
|
|
hereby recognize March 25, 2025, as Space Day at the State Capitol |
|
|
and pay tribute to the immeasurable contributions made by the Texas |
|
|
space economy to our state and nation. |