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Houston was transformed into "Space City" with the construction of the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. This is home to NASA's headquarters, the hub that controls all space missions and manages operations aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Countless space innovations were born in Houston, particularly the crucial development...

Houston is a multifaceted city, yet despite its diversity, it holds several established, symbolic titles. It’s the energy capital of the world and home to the Texas Medical Center, one of the largest medical complexes globally. But Houston is arguably most famous for the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center...

Shale gas was a true discovery of the 21st century. Although known before, its extraction was initially considered impossible and later deemed unprofitable. With the invention of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (fracking), petroleum engineers finally gained the ability to extract this gas. The United States is the largest...

Houston sits in a subtropical climate zone, which means it’s warm year-round. Its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico gives Houston a naturally high humidity, and the city sees frequent rainfall. Hydrometeorological center observations show Houston averages 219 rainy days per year. However, some years bring brutally dry summer...

Toward the end of the 19th century, Houston was far from a booming success. It was incredibly difficult to predict the city's metamorphosis into a metropolis. Houston was a small, provincial town burdened by muddy streets and a stagnant economy. Nobody suspected that something beneath Houston would transform it...

Before the 19th century, transmitting information over long distances was purely the stuff of science fiction. Yet, humanity managed to conquer this frontier. The development of telecommunications in Houston is a story of relentless progress, charting a path from the telegraph to satellite communication. The biggest leaps occurred in...

Flooding has been and remains the number one natural disaster problem for the United States. This fact has been proven over decades of observation of natural catastrophes. Houston, like all of Texas, is in a high-risk zone. Its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, flat terrain, and extensive river...

The electric era in Houston began in 1882. That year marked the start of serious efforts to establish a central power plant in the city. Of course, residents had seen electric light before, but those were isolated incidents. Power sources were typically limited-capacity systems generated by steam engines. Eventually,...

The site for founding Houston was specifically chosen because of its proximity to water. Despite this, the city has always faced challenges with its drinking water supply. It took several decades to build a proper waterworks and even longer to secure high-quality artesian water. Discover the difficult journey of...

For Houston, as for most major cities globally, managing trash remains a persistent and pressing problem that's been begging for a solution. Yet, serious collective thought about this issue has only emerged relatively recently. Statistics show that in 2023, Houston's recycling rate stood at a mere 18% of the...