The University of Texas System and NASA’s Johnson Space Center have entered into a Space Act Agreement aimed at expanding research collaboration, workforce development, and educational engagement in support of space exploration and national security.
“It’s an exciting time for the UT System and NASA to come together in new ways because Texas is at the epicenter of America’s space future. It’s an area where America is dominant, and we are committed as a university system to maintaining and growing that dominance,” said UT System Chancellor John M. Zerwas MD.
Vanessa Wyche, Director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, stated, “NASA’s Johnson Space Center has a long history of working with colleges and universities to help us achieve our human spaceflight missions. We are eager to partner with the UT System to collaborate in vital research and technology development initiatives that will enable us to meet our nation’s exploration goals and advance the future of space exploration.”
The agreement builds on existing collaborations between UT institutions and NASA. For example, UT Austin has produced 12 astronauts who have collectively spent over 500 days in space since Alan Bean became the fourth person to walk on the moon in 1969. The UT Medical Branch’s aerospace medicine residency program and UT Health Houston’s space medicine program provide training for astronauts focused on health beyond Earth. At UT El Paso, a Digital Engineering Design Center operates jointly with NASA within its Advanced Manufacturing and Aerospace Center. Additionally, at UT San Antonio, NASA grants support research involving hypersonic flow, aerodynamics, and atmospheric science.
The new agreement will leverage resources across all 13 institutions within the UT System. These include specialized centers such as UT Austin’s Center for Space Research; the Texas Advanced Computing Center at UT Austin—which supports modeling innovations in rocket propulsion; UT San Antonio’s Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institution dedicated to satellite protection; UTRGV’s STARGATE lab near the SpaceX South Texas Launch site; as well as other research assets throughout the system.
Beyond its work with NASA, since 2021 the UT System has partnered directly with the U.S. Space Force under a Memorandum of Understanding focusing on advanced research and workforce development.
Collaboration with state government has also increased recently. In 2023, lawmakers established the Texas Space Commission which awarded $9.27 million to UT Austin for orbital object tracking research. In 2025, they created Texas Cyber Command headquartered at UT San Antonio—the first state agency based outside of Austin.
Texas hosts more than 2,100 aerospace companies—including major firms like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Boeing, and SpaceX—supporting over 165,000 jobs statewide.
“We’re living through a unique moment where aerospace innovation, national security, economic transformation, and scientific discovery are converging like never before in Texas,” added Zerwas. “UT institutions are uniquely positioned to partner with NASA in building a stronger and safer Texas.”
