Collaboration, not competition. That was how Houston Airport System Director of Aviation Mario Diaz described the future of space exploration as he invited Japanese companies to take part in Houston Spaceport’s long-term vision to become the leader in commercial space travel.
Widely considered to be the world’s first truly urban commercial spaceport, Houston Spaceport offers unhampered access to a thriving aerospace community and world-class facilities, including vast corporate spaces, laboratories for large-scale space technology production and aerospace training institutions.
“This is a brand-new field we’re exploring here — a commercial field. We want to work with Japan because together, we can lead the world when it comes to commercially driven aerospace programs. There’s no single government, country or company that has the solution to everything. It’s going to take all of us working together to enter the next level of space exploration,” Diaz said.
“We can help Japanese companies that share our interest in progressing space exploration by lowering their costs and providing them with an environment that is rich in all the resources they need to be successful in moving the boundaries of human occupancy in space,” he added.
Aside from the Houston Spaceport, HAS also oversees George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) and Ellington Airport, which is where the Houston Spaceport is co-located.
HOU was the first airport in North America to receive a 5-Star rating in 2022 from the airline and airport review company Skytrax. In 2023, HOU maintained its 5-Star rating and continues to be the only airport in North America to boast this distinction. IAH meanwhile received a 4-Star rating for the sixth consecutive year.
Together, the three airports form one of the largest public airport systems in North America and give Houston a lead in becoming the global center for commercial space exploration.
