Rocket science at West Texas airport

​​FABENS – The University of Texas at El Paso’s (UTEP) engineering department is planning to build a Technology Research and Innovation Acceleration Park at Fabens Airport. The park will serve as a testing ground for next-generation rocketry for space exploration and defense.

UTEP will also use its NASA grants to establish design facilities and a satellite ground station at the county airport to track and communicate with the university’s own satellites, two of which will go up next year.

Negotiations are underway between El Paso County and the university to give UTEP control of five acres on the 400-acre airport property, and the option to expand as needed.

“They’re very eager to move in immediately and get this started,” El Paso County Judge Veronica Escobar said yesterday. “If we can get this done by the end of the calendar year, they can immediately start using it in the spring semester.”​