Texas has awarded nearly $100 million in grants to date for private aerospace companies to grow, and the latest round includes a space payload and new developments at the Houston Spaceport.

“The projects awarded funding today will each play a critical role in ensuring Texas’ place as a leader in the emerging space economy while expanding our capabilities as a nation.”

The TSC awarded the following grants:

• - Aegis Aerospace Inc. of Houston received up to $10 million for an in-space materials platform.
• - Icon Technology Inc. of Austin received up to $694,350 to produce lunar soil, known as regolith.
• - Interlune Corp. of Seattle, performing work in Houston, received up to $4.8 million for a lunar regolith center at the Texas A&M University Space Institute near Johnson Space Center.
• - Kulr Technology Group Inc. of Webster received up to $6.7 million for improving battery performance in cold temperatures.
• Venus Aerospace Corp. of Houston received up to $3.9 million for a new engine testing range at Ellington Airport.