The Texas Space Commission recently announced the allocation of $47.7 million in grants to five prominent space companies: Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines, SpaceX, and Starlab Space. This funding, derived from the Space Exploration and Aeronautics Research Fund (SEARF) program, will facilitate projects focused on facility construction and spacecraft development within the state of Texas.
“Today’s awards will support Texas companies as we grow commercial, military and civil aerospace activity across the state,” stated Gwen Griffin, chair of the commission’s board. The SEARF program, established through 2023 legislation aimed at fostering the state’s space industry, received a $150 million appropriation. This latest round of grants follows an earlier announcement of $21.5 million in funding, with a significant portion allocated to The Borderplex Alliance for the development of office space supporting the Space Force’s Space Systems Command.
While the press release refrained from detailing specific project allocations for each company, the commission's board meeting briefly touched upon the proposals before unanimously approving the grants. The selection process, however, remains undisclosed. A previous meeting revealed the commission received 284 grant applications totaling $3.46 billion, significantly exceeding the available $150 million in SEARF funding. This underscores the intense competition and the significant interest in Texas’s burgeoning space sector. This substantial investment reflects Texas's commitment to becoming a major player in the commercial space industry.