Austin News

April 16, 2025

U.S. Senator John Cornyn, Senator Ted Cruz, and Congressman Brian Babin have jointly appealed to President Trump, proposing the relocation of NASA's headquarters from Washington, D.C. to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. This proposal arises as NASA's current headquarters lease in Washington expires in 2028. The lawmakers argue that moving the headquarters could reduce costs and boost growth in the nation's space sector.

In their letter, they express concerns about a "seismic disconnect" between NASA’s headquarters and its core missions in Washington. They emphasize the need for NASA to return to its fundamental mission of exploration by relocating its headquarters to a location more aligned with its primary activities.

The letter highlights Houston's significant contributions to NASA, stating, "Perhaps no city is more closely linked to America’s space program than ‘Space City.’" The Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center hosts more than 12,000 employees and supports over 52,000 jobs. Houston is also deemed an ideal location due to its strong aerospace presence, including companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin, which play vital roles in space exploration.

U.S. Representatives Jodey Arrington, John Carter, Michael Cloud, Dan Crenshaw, Monica De La Cruz, and others have also supported the letter urging the President to consider this relocation strategy. They argue that Texas’s strong business environment and significant aerospace industry would benefit NASA’s headquarters.

The lawmakers also point out that consolidating decision-making in Washington has distanced the headquarters from the essential work carried out across various NASA centers. Texas’s burgeoning commercial space sector, they argue, offers the necessary support for NASA’s ambitious future missions, including reaching Mars.

They conclude by encouraging the President to relocate NASA's headquarters to Houston, emphasizing its economic and strategic advantages for the space agency.