Exploration Park, the groundbreaking 207-acre aerospace campus planned at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, is gaining momentum as it moves closer to construction. Houston-based KBR, a global leader in human spaceflight and aerospace services, will serve as one of the park’s anchor tenants, operating a 45,000-square-foot space food innovation facility focused on customized food systems, packaging and nutrition to support the growing low Earth orbit economy.   “Exploration Park is designed for companies in the space ecosystem, such as KBR, to develop, produce, and deploy innovative new technologies that support space exploration and commerce,” said Simon Shewmaker, Head of Development at ACMI Properties, the developer behind Exploration Park. “This project is moving expeditiously, and we’re thrilled to sign such an innovative partner in KBR, reflecting our shared commitment to building the essential infrastructure of tomorrow for the next generation of space innovators and explorers.”  Click to expand To help bring the campus to life, ACMI also announced the addition of key project partners: Griffin Partners will serve as co-developer, with Gensler leading design and Walter P Moore overseeing civil engineering.  About Exploration Park Exploration Park is designed to serve as a hub for commercial space innovation and human spaceflight, supporting missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond. The project builds on Houston’s long-standing reputation as Space City and aims to cement the region’s role as a global leader in the space industry. “For more than 60 years, NASA Johnson has been the hub of human space exploration,” said NASA Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche in a statement. “This Space Systems Campus will be a significant component within our objectives for a robust and durable space economy that will benefit not only the nation’s efforts to explore the Moon, Mars and the asteroids, but all of humanity as the benefits of space exploration research roll home to Earth.”  Click to expand Once complete, the campus will feature at least 20 build-to-suit facilities that can accommodate at least 1.5 million square feet of space. It will support a range of uses including R&D, laboratories, clean rooms, office space and light manufacturing, and will serve key sectors such as aerospace, robotics, life support systems, advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence. Click to expand At the center of the development is the $200 million Texas A&M Space Institute, funded by the Texas Space Commission. The institute, which broke ground last year, is designed to drive collaboration across academic, government and commercial sectors, while also serving as a pipeline for talent through robust workforce training programs.  What’s Next Construction on the first phase of Exploration Park is slated to begin later this year, with completion targeted for the fourth quarter of 2026. Discover more about Houston’s aerospace industry.

This legislative session, the Governor and state lawmakers prioritized increasing funding for Texas public schools, resulting in a historic $8.5 billion in new funding. The centerpiece is House Bill 2 (HB 2), a 231-page law signed by Governor Greg Abbott on June 4, accounting for $8.1 billion, including $4.2 billion for teacher pay, incentives, and retention.  Houston Area Funding Increases  Under the new formulas, Region IV schools are projected to receive over $1 billion under HB 2. Here are the estimates for the five largest districts in the region:  Houston ISD: $195M  Cypress-Fairbanks ISD: $126M  Katy ISD: $103M  Fort Bend ISD: $80M  Aldine ISD: $61M  Click here to search for individual districts to explore funding changes under HB 2.  Why This Matters for Houston’s Future  A strong public education system is foundational to Houston’s economic future. With more than 1.3 million students enrolled in the region’s schools, today’s learners are tomorrow’s workforce. Ensuring students are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and credentials needed to succeed in college, careers, or military service is essential to meeting the talent demands of our growing economy. Investments like House Bill 2 directly support Houston’s competitiveness by helping develop the educators and systems needed to prepare a workforce that can power the region’s continued growth.  Navigating the Bill  Rather than increasing the basic allotment, which is a pool of funds that can be spent on various eligible programs, lawmakers opted for targeted investments in specific programs, including teacher pay. Here are some of the key provisions in each article.  Article 1: Teacher Compensation & Incentives  Expands teacher designation levels  Boosts performance-based pay and retention bonuses  Establishes required liability insurance and prioritizes high-need campuses  Article 2: Educator Preparation   Limits the use of uncertified teachers  Creates new certification pathways and incentives  Launches state-funded training and mentorship pipelines  Article 3: Educator Rights  Eases job transfer rules and protects pay during unpaid leave  Waives certification fees for high-need subjects  Improves grievance processes and strengthens classroom authority  Article 4: Special Education  Updates funding and terminology for special needs services  Supports visually and hearing-impaired students  Enhances regional training and service delivery  Article 5: Early Childhood Education   Mandates statewide reading/math diagnostics for kindergarten through third grade  Funds extended learning time, pre-K partnerships, and parent-led tutoring  Article 6: College, Career & Military Readiness  Sets new performance goals and funding for dual credit, credentials, and military training  Expands support for career-focused programs like P-TECH and R-PEP  Article 7: School Finance Reforms   Increases aid for small districts, charters, bilingual programs, and school safety  Adds new funding for coastal school operations and insurance  Improves transparency and empowers the Commissioner to fix formula issues  HB 2 represents a sweeping overhaul of how Texas funds, supports, and prepares its educators and students, aiming for stronger outcomes from pre-K through high school and beyond. Click here for a one-pager explaining more about the bill from our partners at Texas 2036.