For decades, Houston has served as a launchpad—for astronauts, spacecraft and medical innovation. Now, the region’s strengths in space exploration and life sciences are converging to power a new frontier: space biopharma. 

Space biopharma is the production of medicines in space, where microgravity enables the creation of drugs and treatments not possible on Earth. This emerging field is projected to grow significantly, with McKinsey & Company estimating that pharmaceutical companies working in space biotech could generate an additional $3 to $4 billion in revenue. 

San Jacinto College (SJC) and Intuitive Machines have announced a new workforce development program to train technicians in the handling, inspection and transfer of biopharmaceutical payloads manufactured in space and returned to Earth via Zephyr, Intuitive Machines’ reentry vehicle currently in development with support from a Texas Space Commission grant. 

The program expands on Intuitive Machines’ collaboration with Rhodium Scientific, a commercial space biotech company that will produce the payloads for Zephyr missions. Together, these efforts lay the groundwork for Intuitive Machines’ broader Earth Reentry Program, which aims to create a complete commercial pipeline for space-based drug development. 

“Delivering life-improving pharmaceuticals from orbit is only valuable with reliable recovery and processes on Earth,” said Intuitive Machines Chief Technology Officer Tim Crain in a statement. “That requires more than a spacecraft—it demands the workforce, facilities, and regulatory alignment to support safe, repeatable operations.” 

Why It Makes Sense for Houston 

Houston is home to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, a cornerstone of human spaceflight and microgravity research for more than six decades, and the Houston Spaceport, where companies like Intuitive Machines and Axiom Space are shaping the future of commercial aerospace. 

The region is also anchored by the Texas Medical Center, the world’s largest medical complex, and a rapidly growing cluster of biomanufacturing and cell therapy companies. Developments like Generation Park, TMC Helix Park and the Alexandria Center for Advanced Technologies are fueling life sciences innovation and commercialization. 

This concentration of talent, infrastructure and innovation makes Houston one of the only places in the world capable of supporting an end-to-end space biopharma supply chain. 

SJC & Intuitive Machines’ Partnership 

SJC will develop the program’s curriculum in partnership with Intuitive Machines and other industry partners. As the only training provider in the southern U.S. certified by the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT), the college will deliver hands-on training aligned with the global gold standard for biopharmaceutical manufacturing. 

The program adds to SJC’s growing life sciences portfolio, which includes the upcoming Center for Biotechnology at Generation Park, a cutting-edge facility that will serve as a hub for biotech education and training. 

“With our NIBRT-certified programming, hands-on biotechnology training facilities, and presence at the Houston Spaceport, San Jacinto College is uniquely positioned to lead the development of the workforce needed for space-enabled biomanufacturing,” said Dr. Christopher Wild, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Vice President of Biotechnology, in a statement. 

The initiative also builds on a longstanding partnership between SJC and Intuitive Machines. The two have worked closely for years through the college’s EDGE Center at the Houston Spaceport, where SJC offers advanced aerospace training.  

Intuitive Machines Scales Up Operations 

The announcement comes as Intuitive Machines prepares to expand its presence at the Houston Spaceport. Building on its existing Lunar Production and Operations Center, which opened in 2023, the company will soon break ground on an additional 16,500 square feet of spacecraft development space and 8,000 square feet of warehouse capacity to support its growing portfolio of government contracts, spacecraft production and mission operations. 

Additionally, Intuitive Machines will also lease a 116,000-square-foot building at the Spaceport, formerly occupied by Collins Aerospace, according to the Houston Business Journal. The facility will enable in-house satellite production, further broadening the company’s manufacturing capabilities. 

Learn more about Houston’s dynamic aerospace and life sciences industries.