The National Aeronautics and Space Administration says its mission is “for the benefit of all,” but some Ohio leaders say the space agency could benefit the Heart of It All.
Newly minted Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Husted and Republican U.S. Rep. Max Miller are leading a push to relocate NASA’s headquarters to Cleveland. According to the lawmakers, the space agency has been “quietly evaluating” options for when its lease expires in 2028.
Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jim Tressel also sent a letter to President Donald Trump supporting the potential move.
Ohio calls itself the “birthplace of aviation,” and Cleveland is home to NASA’s Glenn Research Center. Additionally, the lawmakers say the Buckeye State offers lower living and operating expenses than Washington, D.C.
Therefore, “relocating NASA HQ to Ohio would result in substantial savings for taxpayers while maintaining access to world-class aerospace research and development resources,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Vice President J.D. Vance and NASA Administrator Designate Jared Isaacman.
Republican U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, Republican U.S. Reps. Troy Balderson, Michael Rulli, Warren Davidson, Mike Turner, Mike Carey, Bob Latta, Dave Taylor, Dave Joyce, and Jim Jordan also signed the letter, as did Democratic U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur.
“Given that very few NASA HQ employees currently work in-office, consolidating operations near an existing NASA field center would streamline agency functions while ensuring continued access to necessary infrastructure,” the lawmakers wrote.
Alabama, Florida and Texas could challenge Ohio to host NASA’s headquarters.
“While we recognize that other states may pursue similar proposals, Ohio presents a uniquely advantageous case due to its rich aerospace heritage, lower operational costs, and central role in the nation’s technology and defense sectors,” the lawmakers said in the letter, according to WCMH-TV. “Ohio is the historical home of aviation and ideally suited to lead NASA into the next frontier of both aeronautics functions and space exploration.”
The Trump administration “has signaled a commitment to reshaping the federal workforce by moving administrative agencies out of Washington D.C., promoting a return-to-office culture and improving government efficiency,” the lawmakers added, per the report. “A relocation of NASA headquarters aligns with these objectives by encouraging in-person collaboration while reducing unnecessary federal overhead costs.”
NASA employs about 18,000 “civil servants” and works with contractors. The agency’s Glenn Research Center in Ohio has about 3,000 total people working at the facility.
Ohio already has a high number of government jobs, and according to U.S. News & World Report, the state has the ninth-highest number of federal civilian employees of any state.
It is not entirely clear how moving NASA’s headquarters to Ohio might benefit the state. DeWine, Husted and Miller did not immediately respond to inquiries from Ohio.news seeking to clarify the employment or economic benefits of relocating NASA’s headquarters to Ohio.
Pushing the federal government to relocate institutions to the state isn’t new for Ohio’s leaders.
In 2020, state lawmakers began urging the federal government to locate the U.S. Space Command in Ohio. At the time, they said moving the space command to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the Dayton area could bring as many as 1,400 jobs to the Buckeye State.
Wright-Patterson is home to the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, which “is the Department of Defense’s (DoD) primary source for foreign air and space threats,” according to its website. The Air Force Research Laboratory is also located in Ohio.
Beavercreek Mayor Bob Stone submitted a nomination, and DeWine sent a letter endorsing the plan to the assistant secretary of the U.S. Air Force. However, the feds ultimately opted to keep the U.S. Space Command in Colorado.
