科技英语新闻:NASA Johnson Space Center in partnership with Houston Technology Center

HOUSTON, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- NASA Johnson Space Center on Tuesday formed a partnership with Texas's largest tech incubator and accelerator, the Houston Technology Center (HTC), to help reach its goals of increasing private and public collaboration.

The strategic partnership is aimed at expanding HTC's mission of accelerating the growth of emerging technology companies in the Houston region to support NASA's goals of increasing private and public cooperation, the parties said in news release.

"We are excited to partner with NASA Johnson Space Center in an effort to foster entrepreneurial opportunities to the transitioning workforce in the Bay Area," said Walter Ulrich, CEO of Houston Technology Center.

"The combination of NASA's incredible technologies and HTC's powerful entrepreneurial resources presents the potential for immense economic development," he said.

HTC is committed to growing a sustainable entrepreneurial network that will benefit the surrounding the space center for years to come including its future missions beyond low earth orbit. HTC will seed the future workforce through its close ties with the major universities and with science, technology, engineering, math programs and objectives, according to the news release.

NASA and the Houston Technology Center began their partnership earlier this year when they originally formed plans to open an office to help former contractors near the Johnson Space Center.

With the signing of the Space Act Agreement on Tuesday, the two sides move forward with retraining contractors and helping them get new jobs in the Houston area.

An estimated 4,000 people are expected to lose their jobs when the space shuttle program is completed.