Technology and workforce development for the space economy is a growing priority in federal and state policy. In 2022, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy published a strategy describing his approach to cislunar space, entitled the National Cislunar Science and Technology (S&T) Strategy. The plan affirms the growing role of cislunar space in diplomacy and national security and aims to strengthen support for research and development in this area. At the state level, the Texas Space Commission has been created in 2024 to maintain and expand Texas’ leadership in space exploration.
David Silva“We may not always view space technology as an integral part of national security,” Silva said, “but when we consider the fact that our daily lives depend on satellites for GPS services, telecommunications and weather forecasts, it is clear that cislunar space is a pillar of our national defense. Our new center is poised to leverage UTSA’s expertise to strengthen national security and Texas’ leadership in the emerging trillion-dollar cislunar economy.
Satellites can also be used in agriculture, logistics and energy to monitor crops, traffic patterns and energy networks. They can optimize supply chains and strengthen maritime security by monitoring ports. They also provide key information about the environment, e.g. monitor fresh water availability provide early warnings in the event of natural disasters such as floods and wildfires.
Space infrastructure represents a rapidly growing market in the global economy. A McKinsey & Company 2022 Report projects that the industry will grow from $630 billion in 2023 to $1.8 trillion by 2035. This growth will be catalyzed by the increasing profitability of launch, made possible by companies based or operating in Texas such as Blue Origins, Firefly and SpaceX. This expansion will likely spur corresponding growth in the job market, with aerospace engineering jobs in the United States. expected to increase by 6% between 2023 and 2033.
CSTOR will support a range of space technology research areas in which UTSA excels, including advanced chemical propulsion, fuel for nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP), lunar habitation and surface operations, secure satellite communications and the atmospheric re-entry of vehicles. UTSA also houses space-related expertise in advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, energy storage in extreme environments, neuromorphic AI, power systems, robotics and semiconductor devices for high-power applications in extreme environments.