HOUSTON – NASA is moving forward with a major modernization effort at Johnson Space Center, awarding contracts to seven companies that will help upgrade aging facilities and infrastructure at the Houston campus that has served as the center of America’s human spaceflight program for more than six decades.
The agency announced it has selected seven contractors to compete for task orders under the Johnson Space Center Multiple Award Construction Contract, which supports up to $300 million in upgrades to facilities, utilities and equipment across the campus.
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NASA said all funds must be obligated by Sept. 30, 2026.
The contract is designed to allow NASA to rapidly carry out projects needed to sustain astronaut crew training, engineering development and mission readiness.
Individual task orders will be competed among the selected companies to ensure fair opportunity and best value for the government.
The companies selected are:
- Coho Construction Management, LLC
- Conti Federal Services, LLC
- Healtheon, Inc.
- HITT Contracting, Inc.
- Ross Group Construction Corporation, LLC
- Energy EPC Solutions, LLC, doing business as S&B Services
- Sauer Construction, LLC
Preparing for the next era of space exploration
The investment comes as NASA works to modernize facilities built during the Apollo era while preparing for Artemis missions to the moon and future deep space exploration efforts.
Johnson Space Center remains the agency’s hub for astronaut training, mission operations and human spaceflight development.
The contract vehicle supports up to $300 million in construction and infrastructure work, with projects awarded through individual task orders as needs arise across the campus.
The modernization effort comes as NASA balances support for the International Space Station with preparations for future lunar missions and long term plans aimed at sending astronauts farther into space.
Addressing aging infrastructure
Many facilities at Johnson Space Center date back to the 1960s, when NASA rapidly expanded its human spaceflight program during the Cold War space race with the Soviet Union.
The contract represents a major infrastructure initiative aimed at modernizing facilities across the Johnson campus.
Previous planning documents and public reports have identified potential projects including new fabrication facilities, office space and infrastructure improvements.
NASA’s contract announcement, however, did not specify which projects would move forward under the agreement.
The announcement also comes amid broader discussions about the future of NASA’s infrastructure.
Earlier this year, Sen. John Cornyn proposed legislation that would direct $1 billion toward upgrades at NASA’s human spaceflight facilities in Houston. The proposal is separate from NASA’s newly announced construction contract.
How Houston became the home of human spaceflight
Johnson Space Center traces its origins to 1961, when NASA selected Houston as the site of its new Manned Spacecraft Center following President John F. Kennedy’s challenge to land a man on the moon before the end of the decade.
NASA evaluated sites across the country before choosing Houston, citing factors that included access to universities, transportation networks, industrial support and favorable weather conditions.
Construction began in 1962, and employees gradually moved into the new facilities beginning in 1964 as the nation’s human spaceflight program expanded.
The center was renamed in 1973 in honor of former President Lyndon B. Johnson, the Texas native who played a key role in the creation and growth of the U.S. space program.
Today, the campus occupies roughly 1,620 acres in the Clear Lake area southeast of downtown Houston.
Home of Mission Control
Johnson Space Center is perhaps best known as the home of Mission Control, where flight controllers have monitored and directed U.S. human spaceflight missions for decades.
Since the Gemini program in the 1960s, controllers in Houston have overseen every U.S. human spaceflight mission, including the Apollo moon landings, the Space Shuttle program and operations aboard the International Space Station.
The facility also serves as NASA’s primary center for astronaut training, mission planning and human spaceflight research.
Its role in some of the most significant achievements in space exploration helped earn Houston its internationally recognized nickname, “Space City,” and cemented the city’s place in the history of the global space race.
Looking ahead
While Johnson Space Center’s legacy was built during the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs, its future is increasingly tied to Artemis, NASA’s effort to return astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972.
NASA officials say the construction contract will help ensure the center remains capable of supporting future exploration missions by modernizing the infrastructure needed for astronaut training, engineering development and mission operations.
The upgrades are intended to position the Houston campus for the next generation of human spaceflight while preserving its role as the heart of America’s crewed space program.