NASA is offering about 183.7 acres of undeveloped land next to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston for commercial use through a long-term lease. The land is outside JSC’s security perimeter and can be used for research, manufacturing, or other space-related operations. The site may need “a little re-fencing work” before use. This is the first formal solicitation for the property in years, according to Houston Business Journal.
The official solicitation on SAM.gov confirms that the available land totals approximately 183.7 acres, is accessible via Saturn Lane and sits outside Johnson’s controlled access area. The document sets key dates: a site visit on Feb. 18, with requests to attend due by February 16, a Q&A cutoff of February 23 and a proposal closing date of April 30. The solicitation also states that the lease structure includes a 20-year base period with two 20-year extension options.
About Exploration Park
Exploration Park is NASA Johnson’s long-running push to turn underused land next to the center into a commercial hub for human-spaceflight support, with labs, clean rooms, offices and light manufacturing in the mix. The agency has already inked leases for portions of the project with academic and private-sector partners and says the campus is meant to broaden industry access while keeping secure operations protected on-base, as noted by the NASA. The current solicitation focuses on remaining undeveloped acreage that NASA has described as suitable for phased or subdivided development.
Who Might Move In
Developer ACMI and others have put forward renderings and plans for a multibuilding campus that could host both R&D and manufacturing, with materials envisioning roughly 1.5 million square feet of built space, as per Globe News Wire. The Houston Chronicle has reported that KBR plans a 45,000-square-foot food lab at Exploration Park aimed at serving both commercial customers and NASA missions. Developers say the land’s position outside the fence will make it easier to work with international and commercial partners who do not need federal clearances.
What It Could Mean For Houston
Supporters say the park could generate construction jobs in the near term and longer-term technical roles in the Clear Lake and Bay Area economies, while helping build out a supply chain for human-spaceflight activities. NASA has described Exploration Park as a way to speed up commercial research and manufacturing near Mission Control, and backers argue the campus will help draw new investment and workforce training tied to Artemis and other missions. City and regional leaders have been pushing for projects like this to deepen Houston’s standing in the commercial space economy.
How To Apply
Prospective tenants are directed to review the full Announcement for Proposals on SAM.gov, including submission requirements, maps and concept plans. The solicitation lists contact information for NASA’s real estate office ([email protected]) for procedural questions and clarifications. With a site visit on the calendar and an April 30 deadline, interested players do not have much time to pull together proposals and partnerships.
