The national laboratory that manages the International Space Station from Earth will soon open an office in San Diego.
The city was chosen in part for its world-class innovation ecosystem, given the wide scientific disciplines that the research of the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space involves, the center's Jana Stoudemire said on Tuesday.
She said the center's research focuses on how to benefit life on Earth.
"The U.S. international lab is on board the International Space Station, so our lab isn't here in San Diego but 250 miles overhead," Stoudemire said.
Mayor Kevin Faulconer joined the center's president and executive director, Gregory H. Johnson; astronauts Scott and Mark Kelly, the only twins to have traveled in space; and Eric Topol of the Scripps Translational Science Institute to make the announcement at an event at the Town and Country Resort Convention Center on Tuesday.
"I'm very proud that the operators of the U.S. lab on the International Space Station are establishing a permanent presence here in San Diego. This adds an incredible dynamic to our innovation economy," Faulconer said.
The San Diego field office is the only one located outside of the NASA hubs in Texas and Florida.
