Short answer
The Houston metro had only 11 aerospace product and parts manufacturing establishments in 2023, employing 1,346 people (Census County Business Patterns), 10 of them in Harris County. Houston's aerospace economy is mostly space services: NASA obligated $1.19 billion of contracts performed in the metro in fiscal 2025, to recipients led by Boeing, KBR Wyle, Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems International and Axiom Space. Intuitive Machines is the listed space company headquartered there.
- 11 aerospace manufacturing establishments and 1,346 employees in 2023; average pay $106,651.
- NASA contract obligations performed in metro Houston totaled $1.19 billion in fiscal 2025, across manufacturing, R&D and engineering codes.
- Intuitive Machines reported $210.1 million of 2025 revenue and about 1,695 employees after its January 2026 Lanteris acquisition.
- The Texas governor's office says about 51% of Johnson Space Center's budget, roughly $2.3 billion, goes to Texas businesses.
On this page
This page is for anyone looking for Houston aerospace companies: engineers, suppliers and sellers working around NASA's Johnson Space Center. It's short by design. The Census manufacturing count is too small to describe the market, so we give it, point to the state figure, and use NASA's contract record to show who actually does the work.
The manufacturing count
US Census Bureau County Business Patterns (CBP) 2023, NAICS 3364 (Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing), Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX Metro Area (CBSA 26420):
| Measure (2023) | Houston metro |
|---|---|
| Establishments | 11 |
| Employees (week of March 12) | 1,346 |
| Annual payroll | $143,552,000 |
| Average employees per establishment | 122.4 |
| Average annual pay | $106,651 |
| Share of US establishments | 0.58% of 1,901 |
Harris County has 10 of the 11 and 1,132 of the jobs. Four establishments have 1 to 4 employees and three have 5 to 9; the Census Bureau doesn't publish the other size classes. By code, 4 make aircraft parts and 3 make guided missiles or space vehicles, with employee figures the Bureau flags as high-noise. For the statewide picture (135 establishments, 38,667 employees), see aerospace companies in Texas.
Why the count is small
CBP classes each location by its main activity, and NASA's contractors in Houston mostly do mission operations, engineering, research and spacecraft integration, which sit in services codes. Even NASA's spacecraft contracts here are often coded as research and development, as the table below shows. So a company with thousands of people at Johnson Space Center may not appear in the 11.
What NASA's contract record shows
USAspending shows $1.19 billion of NASA contract obligations in fiscal 2025 with metro Houston as the place of performance. By the NAICS code on the contract:
| Contract NAICS code | FY2025 NASA obligations |
|---|---|
| Guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing (336414) | $499.0 million |
| R&D in physical and engineering sciences (541712) | $152.2 million |
| Other missile and space vehicle parts (336419) | $131.3 million |
| Engineering services (541330) | $113.0 million |
| R&D in physical, engineering and life sciences (541715) | $99.1 million |
The largest recipients, as named in the record:
| Recipient | FY2025 NASA obligations |
|---|---|
| The Boeing Company | $367.3 million |
| KBR Wyle Services | $178.1 million |
| Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems International | $132.0 million |
| Axiom Space | $130.7 million |
| Booz Allen Hamilton | $58.0 million |
| Barrios Technology | $51.6 million |
| Leidos | $48.8 million |
| Intuitive Machines | $24.6 million |
Obligations are recorded where the contract places the work, so some of this is spent with suppliers elsewhere, and subcontracts aren't shown. The Texas governor's office's 2025 aerospace report adds that about 51% of Johnson Space Center's budget, roughly $2.3 billion, goes to contracts with Texas businesses, and that NASA's Texas operations supported more than 39,000 jobs in 2023.
Listed companies
Intuitive Machines is headquartered at 13467 Columbia Shuttle Street, Houston, according to its 2025 10-K. It reported $210.1 million of revenue for 2025 and 525 employees at year end, rising to about 1,695 after it completed the Lanteris acquisition on 13 January 2026. MIND Technology in The Woodlands carries a navigation and guidance industry code on EDGAR but makes marine sonar and seismic equipment, so it isn't an aerospace company in the usual sense.
Selling to Houston space companies
Most buyers here are engineering and operations contractors, not factories. Find them by contract: search USAspending for NASA awards performed in Harris County, then read each recipient's NAICS codes and contract descriptions. Expect export control questions (manufacturers of defense articles register under 22 CFR 122.1) and long, program-driven buying cycles. For the federal sales motion, see selling to government.
Bebop can find companies from a description like "engineering services firms near Johnson Space Center supporting human spaceflight programs" and explain why each fits.
Local sources
| Source | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| Houston Spaceport at Ellington Airport | The FAA-approved spaceport (approval obtained in 2015), its tenants and 350+ acres still to develop |
| Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership aerospace committees | The Aerospace Advisory Committee and Team NASA groups around Johnson Space Center |
| Texas aerospace, aviation and defense report | Johnson Space Center facts and Texas space programs |
| Texas Comptroller account status search | Whether a Texas entity is in good standing |
| USAspending | NASA and DoD awards by place of performance |
Next step: for the region's wider business base, read the report on companies in Houston.
Sources
- County Business Patterns (CBP), 2023, US Census Bureau, accessed 30 October 2026
- Advanced Search: NASA prime contract obligations, FY2025, place of performance Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro counties, USAspending.gov, US Department of the Treasury, accessed 30 October 2026
- Aerospace, Aviation and Defense Industry, Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office, Office of the Governor, May 2025
- Intuitive Machines, Inc. Form 10-K for fiscal 2025, US Securities and Exchange Commission (EDGAR), 19 March 2026
- MIND Technology, Inc. Form 10-K for fiscal year ended 31 January 2026, US Securities and Exchange Commission (EDGAR), 20 April 2026
- Houston Spaceport, Houston Airports, accessed 30 October 2026
- Aerospace Industry Committees, Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership, accessed 30 October 2026
Written by the Bebop team at Blackpearl Group. Published .
Questions people ask
How many aerospace companies are in Houston?
Census County Business Patterns counted 11 aerospace product and parts manufacturing establishments in the Houston metro in 2023, employing 1,346 people. That understates Houston's aerospace industry, which is mostly space services, engineering and research around NASA's Johnson Space Center. Houston Airports says the city is home to over 500 companies and institutions in aerospace-related fields.
What are the biggest aerospace companies in Houston?
By fiscal 2025 NASA contract obligations performed in metro Houston, the largest recipients were Boeing ($367.3 million), KBR Wyle Services ($178.1 million), Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems International ($132.0 million) and Axiom Space ($130.7 million), followed by Booz Allen Hamilton, Barrios Technology, Leidos and Intuitive Machines. Intuitive Machines is the listed space company headquartered in Houston.
What space companies are based in Houston?
Intuitive Machines, a listed lunar lander and space services company, has its headquarters in Houston and is expanding at the Houston Spaceport, according to Houston Airports. Axiom Space received $130.7 million of NASA contract obligations performed in the metro in fiscal 2025. The Texas governor's office names Intuitive Machines and MDA Space in Houston among NASA lunar study contract awardees.
How much does NASA spend with Texas companies?
The Texas governor's office's 2025 aerospace report says about 51% of Johnson Space Center's total budget, roughly $2.3 billion, is spent on contracts with Texas-based businesses, and that NASA's Texas operations supported more than 39,000 jobs and $9.8 billion of economic output in 2023. Federal records show $1.19 billion of NASA contract obligations performed in metro Houston in fiscal 2025.