NASA urged to move headquarters to Ohio as D.C. lease expires
WASHINGTON, D. C. – When the National Aeronautics and Space Administration‘s lease on its current Washington, D.C. headquarters expires in 2028, Ohio members of Congress want NASA to move its headquarters to Ohio.
In a Tuesday letter to Vice President JD Vance and President Donald Trump’s nominee to be NASA Administrator, Jared Isaacman, Ohio Congress members argue that bringing the headquarters of the nearly 18,000 employee agency to their state would align with broader government efforts to decentralize federal agencies and reinvigorate parts of the country outside Washington.
“Ohio is the birthplace of aviation, the heart of America’s aerospace industry, and a critical hub for advanced technology, research, and manufacturing,” says the letter led by Republican U.S. Rep. Max Miller of Bay Village and U.S. Sen. Jon Husted of the Columbus area. “Placing NASA HQ in the ‘Heart of it All’ would reinforce our national leadership in space exploration and aeronautics innovation.”
Others who signed the letter include: U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno along with U.S. Reps. Troy Balderson, Mike Carey, Warren Davidson, Jim Jordan, Dave Joyce, Marcy Kaptur, Bob Latta, Michael Rulli, Dave Taylor, and Mike Turner.
Ohio isn’t the only state pitching itself to host the next NASA headquarters. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is encouraging relocation to Kennedy Space Center, near Orlando, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott would like to see it in his state.
The Ohioans say their state’s rich aerospace heritage, lower operational costs, and central role in the nation’s technology and defense sectors would make it a better place for the headquarters than other states.
They recommend Cleveland’s NASA Glenn Research Center as a potential headquarters site, saying that relocating there would “result in substantial savings for taxpayers while maintaining access to world-class aerospace research and development resources.”
Given that few NASA headquarters employees currently work in-office, the letter said consolidating operations near an existing NASA field center would streamline agency functions while ensuring continued access to necessary infrastructure.
It said that NASA Glenn and its Lewis Field site at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport offer extensive office space and redevelopment opportunities, making them ideal locations to accommodate NASA HQ operations.
“Ohio is the historical home of aviation and ideally suited to lead NASA into the next frontier of both Aeronautics functions and Space Exploration as you lead this agency through its remarkable transformation,” the letter continues.
Miller expounded on the case for NASA Glenn in an opinion piece he posted last month. He said it offers everything NASA needs, “from world-class research facilities to a deep talent pool and a dramatically lower cost of operation.”
“NASA’s headquarters isn’t even in a federal facility; it’s in a privately leased building. With the lease expiring in 2028, the agency has a rare and critical opportunity to break free from D.C.’s high costs and bureaucratic stagnation,” said Miller.
He said none of the other states eying the NASA headquarters have the advantages Ohio offers, including “the perfect balance of deep aerospace roots, cutting-edge research facilities, a skilled workforce, and a cost-effective business climate.”
“Ohio isn’t just a practical choice; it’s a strategic imperative,” said Miller. “The NASA Glenn Research Center and its Armstrong Test Facility are already leading the charge in next-generation aeronautics and spaceflight technology. Moving NASA HQ here would create an unrivaled research and development powerhouse, driving breakthroughs that will define the future of space exploration.”