AGP Executive Report

University Space Milestone: Texas State’s first satellite, a student-built CubeSat carrying a sensor to study how Earth’s atmosphere blocks gamma radiation, launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 on a NASA resupply mission. Starbase Plans: SpaceX is seeking FAA approval for as many as 456 Starship launches a year from its South Texas site; the proposal is under review. Biotech: Dallas-based Colossal Biosciences says an AI platform helped identify genetic changes linked to the dodo’s distinctive features, a step in its de-extinction effort. Data Center Cooling: Texas oilfield wastewater is being explored as a way to cool data centers, potentially easing pressure on freshwater supplies as the AI buildout accelerates. Research: Texas A&M scientists report a promising new direction for Parkinson’s treatment, adding to the state’s growing biomedical research work.

Space Research: Houston-based Axiom Space joined the National Stem Cell Foundation and Saudi Space Agency on an ISS study of Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis, adding genetically diverse cell samples to research in microgravity. AI Infrastructure: Texas oilfield wastewater is being explored as a way to cool data centers while limiting freshwater use, even as data center expansion and its demands on power, water and communities become election issues. Aerospace: Blue Origin plans a 1.3-million-square-foot factory in Hutto, part of a Texas expansion expected to create 2,000 jobs; meanwhile, SpaceX’s plan for as many as 456 annual Starship launches in Texas is under review. Advanced Manufacturing: Austin-based ICON raised $200 million to scale its multi-story 3D-printing technology. Cybersecurity: The FBI seized 187 KVM devices across Texas laptop farms allegedly used to funnel U.S. tech-job earnings to North Korea’s weapons program. Autonomous Transport: Waabi and Warrior Logistics are partnering on self-driving truck operations in Texas.

AI and Power: Texas data-center expansion is becoming a campaign flashpoint: Gina Hinojosa called for protections for communities, water and electricity, after Gov. Abbott paused some approvals. Texas projects are also exploring ways to shrink their footprint, including oilfield wastewater for cooling and Dallas hotel servers that reuse waste heat. Spaceflight: SpaceX’s Starship reached orbit for the first time, though its test mission was cut short; the FAA is reviewing a plan for up to 456 Texas launches a year. Cybersecurity: The FBI says it dismantled more than 40 laptop farms in Texas tied to an alleged North Korean scheme that used false identities to place IT workers at 70 U.S. companies and generate about $3 million. Health Research: Texas Tech researchers reviewed natural compounds such as turmeric and cinnamon for potential roles in diabetes care, but said evidence of benefits for patients remains limited.

Health Research: Texas A&M researchers found polyethylene microplastics worsened signs of fatty liver disease in mice, especially alongside an unhealthy diet; the effect has not been shown in people. Grid & Data Centers: AEP secured up to $3.26 billion in federal funding to modernize Texas’s power grid. Researchers also say oilfield wastewater could help cool data centers and reduce demand for freshwater. Workforce: Texas announced more than $20 million in training grants for programs preparing workers for jobs including welding, nursing and data science. Aerospace: Blue Origin’s Texas expansion includes a planned 1.3-million-square-foot factory in Hutto and about 2,000 advanced jobs.

Battery Supply: EnergyX signed its first lithium offtake deal, a 10-year agreement valued at more than $2 billion. Trafigura will buy supply from projects in Chile and Texas, including Project Lonestar near Texarkana. Texas Research: Texas A&M scientists found polyethylene microplastics worsened signs of fatty liver disease in mice, especially with an unhealthy diet. The effect has not been established in people. Data Center Pushback: Taylor approved a development agreement for a 664-acre campus planned to include a 500-megawatt data center and 750-megawatt gas plant, despite residents’ concerns about impacts on their community. Space Industry: Blue Origin plans a 1.3-million-square-foot factory in Hutto as part of its Texas expansion, expected to create 2,000 advanced jobs.

Austin Tech: Connectivity maker Doodle Labs has moved from California to Austin, citing the city’s better fit for field work and plans to expand hiring as it grows its drone, robotics and defense business. AI Infrastructure: Texas’ data center boom is running into soaring construction costs and power-grid limits, sharpening questions over how fast the state can support AI growth. Aerospace: Blue Origin plans a $554.8 million campus in Hutto, with 2,000 jobs, while quiet battery-powered planes are being tested in Texas. Research: Texas A&M scientists found that polyethylene microplastic exposure worsened fatty-liver indicators in mice, with greater harm alongside a high-fat diet. In-Flight Connectivity: American Airlines plans to add SpaceX’s Starlink Wi-Fi to more than 1,000 jets, extending a Texas-based company’s reach in aviation.

Autonomous Freight: A federal exemption clears a key hurdle for driverless trucks as Texas roads become a testing ground for autonomous semis. AI and Power: A South Texas AI campus landed a 10-megawatt power deal that could grow into a $450 million contract, while a proposed 17-gigawatt private-grid project passed a key hurdle. Space Industry: Blue Origin plans a $554.8 million Hutto campus and 2,000 jobs, adding to Texas’s growing aerospace footprint. Energy Innovation: A Texas plant is turning wastewater into battery lithium, aiming to make critical-mineral production from waste streams practical. Flood Research: NASA-funded UTEP researchers are working to improve flood mapping in El Paso.

AI Infrastructure: A South Texas data-center campus has secured an initial 10-megawatt hosting deal, with expansion to 50 megawatts—and roughly $450 million in potential charges—still conditional; no capacity is energized yet. Space Industry: Blue Origin plans a $550 million aerospace campus in Hutto that could bring 2,000 jobs, extending Texas’s role in the space supply chain. Medical Research: UT Health San Antonio researchers report that MRI-guided magnetic stimulation significantly reduced combat PTSD symptoms. Energy Innovation: A Texas plant is making battery lithium from wastewater, turning an oil-and-gas byproduct into a potential resource. Research Funding: Texas Tech received a $28.9 million USDA grant for a food research complex.

Medical AI: Plano-based AnX Robotica says FDA-submission studies found its capsule-endoscopy AI cut average review time by 88.6%. A recently cleared comparator showed a 24.7% reduction in a separate study, so the figures aren’t a head-to-head test. Biotech: Texas firm Colossal Biosciences is using AI, gene editing and ancient DNA research to pursue the return of species such as dire wolves and woolly mammoths; dinosaurs remain out of reach. AI Infrastructure: Blue Origin plans a $554.8 million Hutto campus expected to create 2,000 jobs, as Texas data-center growth faces questions about power strain and community impacts. Research: Texas A&M scientists report that polyethylene microplastics may weaken liver defenses and contribute to fatty liver disease, especially alongside an unhealthy diet.

Space Manufacturing: Blue Origin plans a $555 million campus in Hutto, with 1.3 million square feet for satellite and communications equipment production and more than 2,000 projected jobs. AI Infrastructure: ThisWay Global plans to turn the former RELLIS site into a 73-megawatt AI hub, as Texas debates data centers’ power demands and oversight. Battery Materials: A Texas plant is producing lithium for batteries from wastewater, offering a potential new source of a critical material. Engineering Reuse: University of Houston researchers built a highway-sign structure from retired wind-turbine blades, giving hard-to-recycle composites a new use. Research and Agriculture: Texas Tech received a $28.9 million USDA grant for a food research complex, while NASA is working with farmers on remote-sensing tools for crops.

AI Infrastructure: Austin-based ThisWay Global acquired the stalled RELLIS data-center project and plans a 73-megawatt AI compute center on Texas A&M System land in Bryan, using it to demonstrate a framework for tracking who controls data, models and computing resources. Space Manufacturing: Blue Origin plans a 1.3-million-square-foot factory in Hutto, with up to 2,000 jobs, expanding Texas’s aerospace industry. Agricultural Research: Texas Tech received a $28.9 million USDA grant for a food research complex, while West Texas A&M secured $9.75 million for a beef cattle research facility. Autonomous Transport: Kodiak AI and Charger Logistics launched driverless trucking operations on a Laredo route, extending the technology onto Texas highways. Flood Science: NASA-funded UTEP researchers are working to improve flood mapping in El Paso.

Aerospace: Blue Origin plans a 1.3-million-square-foot manufacturing campus in Hutto, creating up to 2,000 jobs and expanding production for its satellite communications networks and space systems. AI Infrastructure: Taylor approved a 664-acre data center and power plant, while plans for an AI compute center at Texas A&M-RELLIS add to Texas’s fast-growing buildout. The projects are sharpening concerns about grid capacity, energy costs and public access to data center records. Research: Prairie View A&M secured a $10 million federal grant for AI research, and West Texas A&M received $9.75 million for a beef cattle research facility. Space Computing: Houston-based Axiom Space highlighted progress in computing systems designed for space.

Space Manufacturing: Blue Origin plans a 1.3-million-square-foot Hutto campus for satellite and communications production, with more than 2,000 jobs expected over the next decade. Data Center Pressure: Texas is slowing new data-center permits as demand strains the grid: ERCOT’s queue for large new customers reached 474 gigawatts, mostly from data centers, raising concerns over grid upgrades and residents’ power bills. Research and AI: ThisWay Global has acquired the former RELLIS data-center site and plans a 73-megawatt facility tied to Texas A&M workforce training and research, including faster cancer diagnostics. Tech Investment: A new Texarkana partnership with Japan’s AIST aims to help advanced technologies move from research into U.S. testing and production. Space Science: NASA’s Crew-12 returned after 237 days in orbit; the astronauts are due at Johnson Space Center in Houston to discuss their mission and research.

Autonomous Freight: Kodiak AI and Charger USA launched a driverless trucking route between Dallas and Laredo, putting Texas highways at the center of commercial autonomous freight. AI Infrastructure: ThisWay Global plans a research and computing center at Texas A&M-RELLIS, even as analysts warn power plans are falling short of near-term demand from large data centers. Chipmaking: Elon Musk says his companies will build and operate the Texas Terafab, as talks with TSMC signal potential outside involvement in the project. Clean Energy Manufacturing: Toyo completed an expansion that brings its Texas solar-module plant to 2 gigawatts of annual capacity.

AI Infrastructure: Elon Musk says Intel will run his planned Texas Terafab, with TSMC limited to a sublease. Meanwhile, rapid data-center growth is straining the Texas grid, even as a West Texas campus plan adds to the state’s multibillion-dollar AI investment pipeline. Agricultural Research: A pasture mealybug infestation has spread to 111 Texas counties. Economists estimate cattle losses have reached at least $1.5 billion, while researchers warn the pest can survive in dried hay. Health Technology: Texas has ended taxes on technology systems used to store and share medical records, a change aimed at lowering costs for health providers. MD Anderson also announced a new roadmap to eliminate cervical cancer in Texas. Tech Workforce: Collin College’s electronic engineering technology program won a 2026 Tech Titans award for its industry-linked training and credential pathways.

Semiconductors: Elon Musk says Tesla and SpaceX will build and run the Texas Terafab, with Intel continuing as a technology partner; TSMC could potentially sublease space. Power for AI: Oracle signed an agreement for most of the output from Scout Clean Energy’s 300-megawatt Ranchero wind farm in Crockett County, part of Oracle’s broader Texas renewables push. Data Center Boom: A proposed West Texas campus adds to billions in planned regional AI investment, even as Gov. Greg Abbott expands a permitting pause pending an ERCOT audit. Industrial Capacity: Calgon Carbon nearly doubled reactivated-carbon output at its Crosby plant, bolstering Gulf Coast supply and reuse capacity. Critical Minerals: Texas-based Element3 launched a domestic lithium mining project with support from the Energy Department’s national labs, aiming to strengthen U.S. supplies for technology and transportation. Biotech Research: Rice’s Biotech Launch Pad is developing a “living pharmacy” concept designed to produce treatments inside the body.