AUSTIN (KXAN) — Representatives from the space industry met at the Texas Capitol on Tuesday, Sept. 24, presenting a status update to the House Appropriations Committee.
This discussion included the recently established Texas Space Commission and the $150 million grant they will distribute. On Monday, Sept. 23, the TSC announced that grant applications were open.
The grant, called the Space Exploration and Aeronautics Research Fund (SEARF), is available to businesses and nonprofits looking to play a major role in the development of the Texas space industry.
“There is no deadline, and there is no maximum dollar amount that folks can submit their high quality applications for the board to review and consider funding through the SEARF grant program,” said TSC Executive Director Norman Garza.
The grant can be applied to projects that fit one of several categories related to space travel:
- Development of emerging technologies required for any aspect of human spaceflight
- Research involving any aspect of space exploration and spaceflight
- Workforce training to promote space exploration and spaceflight
- Curation of post-mission materials involved in space exploration and spaceflight
- Development of infrastructure useful or necessary for the establishment or maintenance of a spaceport.
Texas as a space leader
The Texas Space Commission officially launched in March at a ceremony held at the Johnson Space Flight Center in Houston. Established as part of the 88th legislative session, the TSC is charged by the governor with overseeing the expansion of the space industry in Texas.
“There’s a presence of some significant space companies, those that have already been here looking to expand their current footprint, as well as those that aren’t yet here in Texas,” Garza said on why the TSC exists.
The commission is made up of a nine member board, selected by the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and House Speaker. Gwen Griffin is the current board chair.
“It’s an exciting time for space, and there’s a lot of work to be done for our nation and our planet,” Griffin told the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday.
Griffin said they anticipate numerous applications in the coming weeks for the grant.
“I’m excited to see what the demand signal is from across Texas and to better understand the landscape of ideas that will grow the state’s space economy now and in the future,” Griffin said.
One of the questions the commission has gotten is if they were created to compete with the space industry in Florida and Alabama. Griffin said that the state has always been a leader in the industry, but it was time to formalize that relationship with the establishment of the TSC.
“Texas has a unique opportunity. We have more land than a lot of those states. We have more resources. We can develop that talent,” Griffin said.