Could NASA HQ move to Ohio?

SANDUSKY — If NASA decides to move its Washington, D.C., national headquarters, Ohio officials believe they've found the perfect place to put it. Ohio lawmakers, including Gov. Mike DeWine, are urging the Trump administration to relocate the main base to northern Ohio. Last week, Ohio's members of Congress sent a letter to Trump administration officials, suggesting the headquarters land at NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, which is already a large NASA regional facility, next to Cleveland Hopkins airport. The Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility in Erie County is considered a branch campus of NASA Glenn. Legislators petition gov't U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, and U.S. Rep. Max Miller, a Republican who represents the Cleveland area, took the lead on the letter. But it was signed by other members of Ohio's congressional delegation, including U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo. DeWine also has joined the cause, sending a letter to President Trump that also recommends moving NASA's headquarters to Ohio. There's been no response yet, but it's still early in the process, said Miller's spokesman, Griffin Moore. The proposed new director of NASA nominated by Trump, Jared Isaacman, hasn't been confirmed yet by the U.S. Senate, Moore noted. Trump has suggested he wants to move up to 100,000 federal workers outside of Washington. In addition, the lease on NASA's building in Washington, D.C., expires in 2028. Other states compete Florida and Texas also have mounted efforts to move the headquarters to their states, too, so Ohio already has competition for the proposed move. In their letter to Isaacman and Vice President J.D. Vance, the Ohio lawmakers argue that Cleveland would provide cheaper operating costs than Washington, D.C., and that a move would align with Trump's decentralization push. They also argued that NASA Glenn has plenty of space. "While we recognize that other states — including Florida, Alabama and Texas — 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," they wrote.