Texas Space Commission Awards Grant to Concho Valley Council of Governments
Austin, TX - The Texas Space Commission (TSC) announced a Space Exploration & Aeronautics Research Fund (SEARF) grant of up to $500,000 has been awarded to Concho Valley Council of Governments (CVOG) for a feasibility study to be titled “Concho Valley Operation: The Mission to Space”.
The feasibility study proposes to identify possible locations for construction of inland launch sites within a 14-county region, known as CVOG. Specifically, the Concho Valley offers wide-open airspace, low population density, and central access to Texas transportation networks. The feasibility study will assess environmental, technical, and economic factors to determine the San Angelo region’s readiness to host commercial and defense-oriented space launches.
The project timeline is set to take place over one year. The objectives included with this grant agreement are:
• Develop and release a Request for Qualifications (RFQ): June 2025 – September 2025;
• Evaluation committee for consultant selection: September 2025 – November 2025;
• Execute a contract: December 2025 – May 2026; and
• Approval of final draft of the feasibility study: June 2026 – June 2026.
The TSC grant will reimburse CVOG for eligible funds expended for salaries and other direct costs associated with producing this feasibility study.
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About The Concho Valley Council of Government
The Concho Valley Council of Governments is a voluntary organization of local governments to foster a cooperative effort in resolving problems, policies, and plans that are common and regional. Learn more.
About the Texas Space Commission
Established by the 88th Texas Legislature in 2023 through House Bill 3447, authored by Rep. Greg Bonnen, M.D., the Texas Space Commission advances innovation in the fields of space exploration and commercial aerospace to strengthen the state’s proven leadership across civil, commercial, and military domains. To date, the total appropriation made by the Legislature for the SEARF Trust is $450 million. Learn more.
Contact
To submit a media inquiry to the Texas Space Commission, please send an email to TSCPressInquiries@space.texas.gov.