Houston Airports welcomes Involve Space to Houston Spaceport

Oct 8, 2026

Italian aerospace company opens its first U.S. office, commerical balloon missions planned by end of 2026.

HOUSTON — Houston Airports welcomes Involve Space as a new tenant at the Houston Spaceport, where the Italian aerospace company has signed a lease and moved into its first U.S. office.

Involve Space develops high-altitude balloon platforms for Earth observation, scientific research and hardware testing. Its balloons carry instruments into the stratosphere, a layer of the upper atmosphere, to collect images and data, conduct experiments and test technology. The company plans to launch its first commercial missions from the Houston Spaceport by the end of 2026.

“The presence of innovative platforms like those developed by Involve strengthens the Spaceport’s role as a site for testing, validating and deploying advanced technologies between aeronautics and space,” said Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for Houston Airports.

Located at Ellington Airport (EFD), the Houston Spaceport provides a base for Involve Space’s North American business development and collaboration with aerospace companies and researchers. The company’s global headquarters, research, engineering and manufacturing activities remain in Como, Italy.

“Houston is the global center of aerospace, and our presence at Houston Spaceport strengthens our international growth trajectory,” said Jonathan Polotto, founder and CEO of Involve Space.

Involve Space joins a Houston aerospace community that includes NASA, Axiom Space, Venus Aerospace and Intuitive Machines.

Among its first U.S. clients is Houston-based Rhodium Scientific, a space biotechnology company. Polotto and Rhodium Scientific founder and CEO Olivia Gamez Holzhaus signed a memorandum of understanding to integrate and test biotechnology experiments aboard Involve Space’s stratospheric platforms before planned missions to orbit.

“The collaboration with Involve Space allows us to integrate stratospheric platforms into our scientific validation processes, offering a structured and reliable bridge between laboratory and orbit,” Gamez Holzhaus said. “This approach enhances mission quality by reducing risks and increasing the readiness of technologies and experiments destined for the space environment.”

Involve Space’s relationship with the Houston Spaceport began in January 2025, when it completed its first U.S. pilot launch. During the five-hour mission, the balloon reached an altitude of about 85,000 feet and traveled approximately 250 miles across Texas.

About Involve Space | Founded in Como, Italy, in 2021, Involve Space develops stratospheric balloon platforms for Earth observation, scientific research, hardware testing and civilian and defense applications. The company combines aerospace hardware with artificial intelligence and geospatial tools. Its proprietary CLEAR platform uses conversational AI to help customers interpret data and support operational decisions. Learn more at involvespace.eu.

About Houston Spaceport | Owned and managed by Houston Airports, Houston Spaceport is a commercial aerospace campus at Ellington Airport (EFD). Licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration for horizontal launch in 2015, it became the nation’s 10th commercial spaceport. The campus supports aerospace research, development, manufacturing and workforce training. Learn more at fly2houston.com/spaceport.