A group of Texas lawmakers, led by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Brian Babin, is calling on President Trump to relocate NASA’s headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Houston’s base at the Johnson Space Center (JSC).
They argue that the move would bring the space agency closer to its operational roots and save taxpayer dollars.
In a letter to the White House, the delegation highlighted the expiration of NASA’s current D.C. lease in 2028 as a crucial opportunity to “reinvigorate America’s space agency” by bringing its headquarters back home to “Space City.” The letter was co-signed by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and over two dozen members of Congress such as Dan Crenshaw, Pat Fallon, Brandon Gill, Pete Sessions, and Craig Goldman.
“For NASA to return to its core mission of excellence in exploration, its headquarters should be located at a place where NASA’s most critical missions are and where transformational leadership from the ground up can be provided,” the letter reads.
“Houston is home to Mission Control, the NASA astronaut corps, the Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility, commercial space agreements, and extensive research and development partnerships. JSC plays a role in nearly everything that makes America a leader in space exploration.“
The proposal frames Houston not only as a symbol of NASA’s golden era but also as a practical place for modern space innovation. According to a recent report from Cruz’s office, the JSC currently employs more than 12,000 NASA workers and supports over 52,000 public and private sector jobs in the area.
Texas is also home to more than 2,000 aerospace and “defense-related” companies, including industry giants like SpaceX and Blue Origin.
Supporters also point to Texas’s low cost of living and business-friendly climate as key advantages, factors that have motivated people like Elon Musk to move their space-ventures to the state.
“Texas boasts a strong business environment, low government regulation, a robust commercial space sector, and a cost of living that is less than half of the Washington, D.C. area. Moving the NASA headquarters to Texas will create more jobs, save taxpayer dollars,” the letter continues.
Beyond dollars and cents, lawmakers further argue that the current D.C.-based model creates an environment of “red-tape” that hampers space innovation.
“NASA’s current headquarters in Washington, D.C. is disconnected from the NASA centers across the country and thus much of the day-to-day work. Consolidating greater and greater levels of work and authority in Washington, D.C. has been a decades-long trend, resulting in decision making funneled up to bureaucrats at headquarters rather than empowering scientists and astronauts,” per the letter.
While the proposal is still in its early stages, its timing is strategic. The upcoming lease expiration in D.C. gives federal officials a few years to evaluate a move back to Houston. A potential move would also require support from Congress.
Still, some Texas lawmakers must think the momentum is on their side.
The newly established Texas Space Commission is actively working to attract more space ventures and strengthen the state’s deep ties to aerospace innovation, as The Dallas Express previously covered.
“Perhaps no city is more closely linked to America’s space program than ‘Space City.’ Some of the first words spoken on the surface of the moon called out to Houston,” per the letter.