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Texas Senate Bill SR318

Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

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1-SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 318
2- WHEREAS, The State of Texas has played a central role in
3- the history and advancement of space exploration, and its
4- continuing leadership in the space industry remains a proud and
5- defining element of the state's identity; and
1+89R17968 EME-D
2+ By: Middleton S.R. No. 318
3+
4+
5+
6+
7+ R E S O L U T I O N
8+ WHEREAS, The State of Texas has played a central role in the
9+ history and advancement of space exploration, and its continuing
10+ leadership in the space industry remains a proud and defining
11+ element of the state's identity; and
612 WHEREAS, Texas is home to more than 2,000 aerospace,
7- aviation, and defense businesses, including commercial
8- spaceports operating in Houston, Midland, McGregor, Van Horn,
9- and Boca Chica; long a cornerstone of America's space program,
10- NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston serves as the
11- hub for astronaut training and oversees mission control for the
12- International Space Station, which in 2025 is celebrating 25
13- years of continuous human presence in space; among the Lone Star
14- State's other major aerospace landmarks is the Midland
15- International Air & Space Port, the first airport in the U.S.
16- with both passenger air service and a commercial spaceport
17- license; and
13+ aviation, and defense businesses, including commercial spaceports
14+ operating in Houston, Midland, McGregor, Van Horn, and Boca Chica;
15+ long a cornerstone of America's space program, NASA's Lyndon
16+ B. Johnson Space Center in Houston serves as the hub for astronaut
17+ training and oversees mission control for the International Space
18+ Station, which in 2025 is celebrating 25 years of continuous human
19+ presence in space; among the Lone Star State's other major
20+ aerospace landmarks is the Midland International Air & Space Port,
21+ the first airport in the U.S. with both passenger air service and a
22+ commercial spaceport license; and
1823 WHEREAS, The robust space industry in Texas generates
1924 $11 billion per year in gross product; the state's aerospace,
20- defense, and aviation sectors together employ 145,000 Texans,
21- and 18 of the world's 20 leading aerospace companies have
22- operations in Texas; NASA alone invests more than $2.5 billion in
23- the state annually, while providing over 10,000 contract and
24- civil service jobs; the agency also engages some 2,000 students
25- and educators through its Texas High School Aerospace Scholars
26- program and other statewide STEM initiatives, and it facilitates
27- research and development through partnerships with Texas
28- universities; the state's space-related economy is further
29- bolstered by Space Center Houston and the Bay Area Houston
30- Economic Partnership's Space Alliance Technology Outreach
31- Program, which each generate more than $200 million in economic
32- impact; and
25+ defense, and aviation sectors together employ 145,000 Texans, and
26+ 18 of the world's 20 leading aerospace companies have operations in
27+ Texas; NASA alone invests more than $2.5 billion in the state
28+ annually, while providing over 10,000 contract and civil service
29+ jobs; the agency also engages some 2,000 students and educators
30+ through its Texas High School Aerospace Scholars program and other
31+ statewide STEM initiatives, and it facilitates research and
32+ development through partnerships with Texas universities; the
33+ state's space-related economy is further bolstered by Space Center
34+ Houston and the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership's Space
35+ Alliance Technology Outreach Program, which each generate more than
36+ $200 million in economic impact; and
3337 WHEREAS, Demonstrating its commitment to the continued
3438 strength of the space industry, the State of Texas launched the
3539 Texas Space Commission with the goal of driving commercial
3640 aerospace growth and fostering innovation in the areas of space
3741 exploration, research, and development; alongside this endeavor,
3842 the state established the Texas Aerospace Research and Space
3943 Economy Consortium and the Space Exploration and Aeronautics
4044 Research Fund to support research efforts and award grants to
41- businesses, government entities, and nonprofits involved in
42- space exploration and science; funding provided by the State
43- Legislature has also helped advance The Texas A&M University
44- System's endeavors in space research and technology development,
45- and construction is currently underway on the Texas A&M
46- University Space Institute in the Johnson Space Center's new
47- Exploration Park; and
45+ businesses, government entities, and nonprofits involved in space
46+ exploration and science; funding provided by the State Legislature
47+ has also helped advance The Texas A&M University System's endeavors
48+ in space research and technology development, and construction is
49+ currently underway on the Texas A&M University Space Institute in
50+ the Johnson Space Center's new Exploration Park; and
4851 WHEREAS, The commercialization of various NASA space
49- technologies has fueled significant innovation in Texas; the
50- agency continues to be at the forefront of advancements in
51- aeronautics, space science, and exploration through initiatives
52- such as the Artemis campaign, the Gateway space station, the
53- Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program, and
54- the Human Landing System program, which is enabling SpaceX and Blue
55- Origin's commercial lunar landing services; additionally, NASA's
56- Commercial Lunar Payload Services contracts are empowering
57- companies such as Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines to
58- deliver payloads to the lunar surface in March 2025; and
52+ technologies has fueled significant innovation in Texas; the agency
53+ continues to be at the forefront of advancements in aeronautics,
54+ space science, and exploration through initiatives such as the
55+ Artemis campaign, the Gateway space station, the Extravehicular
56+ Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program, and the Human Landing
57+ System program, which is enabling SpaceX and Blue Origin's
58+ commercial lunar landing services; additionally, NASA's Commercial
59+ Lunar Payload Services contracts are empowering companies such as
60+ Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines to deliver payloads to the
61+ lunar surface in March 2025; and
5962 WHEREAS, Through ongoing investments in the state's space
60- economy, Texas is charting new frontiers in an industry that
61- holds limitless potential for the future of humanity, and the
62- observance of Space Day serves to promote awareness of its
63- importance to the continued vitality of the Lone Star State; now,
64- therefore, be it
65- RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 89th
66- Legislature, hereby recognize March 25, 2025, as Space Day at the
67- State Capitol and pay tribute to the immeasurable contributions
68- made by the Texas space economy to our state and nation.
69- Middleton
70- Alvarado Hagenbuch Menéndez Alvarado Hagenbuch Menéndez
71-Alvarado Hagenbuch Menéndez
72- Bettencourt Hall Miles Bettencourt Hall Miles
73-Bettencourt Hall Miles
74- Birdwell Hancock Nichols Birdwell Hancock Nichols
75-Birdwell Hancock Nichols
76- Blanco Hinojosa of Hidalgo Parker Blanco Hinojosa of Hidalgo Parker
77-Blanco Hinojosa of Hidalgo Parker
78- Campbell Hinojosa of Nueces Paxton Campbell Hinojosa of Nueces Paxton
79-Campbell Hinojosa of Nueces Paxton
80- Cook Huffman Perry Cook Huffman Perry
81-Cook Huffman Perry
82- Creighton Hughes Schwertner Creighton Hughes Schwertner
83-Creighton Hughes Schwertner
84- Eckhardt Johnson Sparks Eckhardt Johnson Sparks
85-Eckhardt Johnson Sparks
86- Flores King West Flores King West
87-Flores King West
88- Gutierrez Kolkhorst Zaffirini Gutierrez Kolkhorst Zaffirini
89-Gutierrez Kolkhorst Zaffirini
90- Patrick, President of the Senate
91- ________________________________
92- President of the Senate
93- I hereby certify that the
94- above Resolution was adopted by
95- the Senate on March 25, 2025.
96- ________________________________
97- Secretary of the Senate
98- ________________________________
99- Member, Texas Senate
100-
101-
102-
103-Alvarado Hagenbuch Menéndez
104-
105-
106-
107-Bettencourt Hall Miles
108-
109-
110-
111-Birdwell Hancock Nichols
112-
113-
114-
115-Blanco Hinojosa of Hidalgo Parker
116-
117-
118-
119-Campbell Hinojosa of Nueces Paxton
120-
121-
122-
123-Cook Huffman Perry
124-
125-
126-
127-Creighton Hughes Schwertner
128-
129-
130-
131-Eckhardt Johnson Sparks
132-
133-
134-
135-Flores King West
136-
137-
138-
139-Gutierrez Kolkhorst Zaffirini
63+ economy, Texas is charting new frontiers in an industry that holds
64+ limitless potential for the future of humanity, and the observance
65+ of Space Day serves to promote awareness of its importance to the
66+ continued vitality of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it
67+ RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 89th Texas Legislature
68+ hereby recognize March 25, 2025, as Space Day at the State Capitol
69+ and pay tribute to the immeasurable contributions made by the Texas
70+ space economy to our state and nation.