Recent Activities in the Aerospace Alliance Cooridor
Although 2020 was an unprecedented year in terms of challenges and changes, the Aerospace Alliance continues to thrive and adapt to a new type of normal. The aerospace and aviation industry faced unique challenges in the face of the pandemic but have carried on with their ability to innovate and drive industry advancements and growth. As the saying goes, “Rule number one: no matter what happens, fly the airplane.” And that’s exactly what the Southeast aerospace and aviation industry did.
As we enter the second half of the year, we want to look back and celebrate some of the many accomplishments that Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi have achieved in aerospace, aviation and commercial space.
Here are only some of the corridor’s recent wins and successes:
Alabama
- Craig Air Force Base Executive Director Jim Corrigan announced that City Jet/Turbine Worx plans to open an aircraft maintenance operation and dispatch facility on Craig Field, a public airport and industrial facility. Read more.
- The U.S. Department of Defense has launched an Aerospace Education Research and Innovation Center at Alabama’s Tuskegee University, enhancing research in critical areas and expanding the future technical talent pipeline for the industry. Read more.
- Covington County’s South Alabama Regional Airport has become a busy hub for aviators traveling throughout the Southeastern U.S. The airport’s industrial park is home to several maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities, as well as a satellite campus of the Alabama Aviation College. Read more.
Florida
- Canadian-based company Space Engine Systems will set up its North American operations base at Cecil Spaceport in Jacksonville. Read more.
- The U.S. Space Force has renamed the 45th Space Wing that oversees Florida’s launch ranges Space Launch Delta 45. Read more.
- Lockheed Martin and CareerSource Florida have partnered to develop and refine a registered apprenticeship program. Read more.
Louisiana
- Louisiana has signed an agreement with NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility that could lead to creation of the Louisiana Space Campus, a dedicated 50-acre business park within NASA’s 829-acre site in New Orleans. Read more.
- Northrop Grumman Corporation announced it recently inducted the first U.S. Customs and Border Protection P-3 Orion aircraft for depot level maintenance at its Aircraft Maintenance and Fabrication Center in Lake Charles. Read more.
- The core stage of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket (the largest rocket element NASA has ever built), the SLS main propulsion system, was assembled in Louisiana. The rocket’s first flight will be the Artemis I mission, which will send an uncrewed Orion spacecraft on a test flight around the Moon and back to Earth. Read more.
Mississippi
- Solid rocket fuel innovator Adranos, Inc. is expanding its rocket motor research and development operations in McHenry, Mississippi. The project is a $1.35 million corporate investment and will create 25 new jobs. Read more.
- A small team of technologists at NASA’s Stennis Space Center is gaining recognition for its expertise in designing, testing and deploying capabilities that help critical systems operate more autonomously and efficiently. Read more.
- Relativity Space is on track to ship the second stage of its 3D-printed rocket to Stennis Space Center for testing this summer. Read more.
Our region’s investments in talent, infrastructure, site readiness and research continue to attract industries of all sizes. The Alliance states have drawn some of the world’s most recognizable names in the industry and continue to expand and make innovations in aviation, aerospace and space exploration. To learn more about the Alliance and read more news stories coming out of our region, visit our new website and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
-The Aerospace Alliance