HOUSTON — July 3, 2019 — San Jacinto College, along with partners from the Houston Airport System, Houston City Council, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and community and project partners gathered on June 26, 2019, to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Houston Spaceport at Ellington Airport.
Work is already underway at the development site, which will sit on 154 acres at Ellington Airport. The Houston Spaceport is the 10th commercial spaceport license in the United States awarded by the FAA. The project scope includes providing streets, water, wastewater, electrical power distribution facilities, and fiber optic and communications facilities necessary to attract future development.
As the official education training partner for the Houston Spaceport, the San Jacinto College EDGE Center will offer four initial training programs: composites manufacturing and repair technician, aerospace electrical assembly technician, aerospace structures technician, mechatronics and industrial automation technician. In addition to these programs, San Jacinto College will also offer customized and individualized training based on the needs of the spaceport partners.
“We are excited for this opportunity,” said San Jacinto College Chancellor Dr. Brenda Hellyer. “We look forward to creating an educational space that will support and enhance the workforce needs of current and future businesses in the Houston Spaceport. We thank the City of Houston, the Houston Airport System, and the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership for working with us to make this EDGE Center a reality.”
Phase 1 of the Hosuton Spaceport project offers potential tenants and parters a unique environment in which to collaborate, as well as an operational platform to achieve critical business objectives. By housing organizations from across several industries and disciplines on one campus, the “innovation incubator” concept will foster and accelerate key aerospace engineering activities including: component and composite development and fabrication, space vehicle assembly, zero-gravity scientific and medical experiments, microsatellite deployment, astronaut training and development, and space tourism.
“Once completed, Phase 1 will stand ready to encourage even more progress to help companies with development of satellite technologies, drone technology, and urban air mobility initiatives,” said Houston Airport System Director Mario Diaz. “And beyond technology, it will help develop the talent to drive innovation forward. San Jacinto College is taking steps to open an aerospace workforce training center here, providing a talent pipeline that will help attract companies to Houston.”
Eventually, when all 450 acres at Ellington Airport available to the project are fully developed, the Houston Spaceport will become a focal point in the region for aerospace research, manufacturing, and commercial space operations.
Posted July 8, 2019
Source: San Jacinto College
