$9.3 million approved by Texas Space Commission for SEARF grant award

Austin, TX – Today, during an Open Meeting, the Texas Space Commission (TSC) board of directors voted to conditionally approve a grant application totaling $9,270,000 for a proposed project led by The University of Texas at Austin.

The project will support development of a Space Domain Awareness (SDA) “Tools, Applications, and Processing” (TAP) lab. The grant includes facility construction, equipment, as well as research and development costs. The Lab’s permanent infrastructure will serve as Texas’ first operational SDA innovation node, fostering economic growth, orbital safety, and strategic autonomy for both Texas and the nation. 

“The SDA-TAP Lab tackles some of the toughest challenges before the U.S. Space Force. The initiative will also leverage the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) to securely process large-scale orbital datasets and simulate behavioral models at scale, making Texas the epicenter of scalable, mission-relevant space computing. Backing this effort reflects our commitment to shaping a future where Texas is a hub for innovation that directly contributes to national defense and global space resilience,” said Gwen Griffin, chair of the TSC board. 

Previously, the TSC conditionally awarded $126 million for 22 projects. Today’s award brings the total to approximately $135 million for 23 projects in all. There is approximately $15 million remaining from the initial $150 million appropriated by state legislators in 2023.

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ABOUT TSC

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.