MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WBMA) \u2014 Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has submitted the state\u2019s initial response to a federal commission considering locations for a proposed United States Space Academy, with the state putting forward Huntsville as its preferred site.<\/p>\n
The submission to the Presidential Commission on the United States Space Academy highlights Alabama\u2019s history in space exploration, national defense, research and workforce development. The commission is chaired by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.<\/p>\n
Ivey said Alabama\u2019s experience in the space industry and Huntsville\u2019s concentration of federal agencies, military installations, educational institutions and aerospace companies make the state a strong candidate.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlabama helped send America to the moon, and we are ready to help prepare the Americans who will take us even further,\u201d Ivey said.<\/p>\n
The proposal points to several existing space-related institutions and programs in Huntsville, including NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, which operates Space Camp. The state also cited the region\u2019s long-standing relationship with Redstone Arsenal and its aerospace and defense workforce.<\/p>\n
Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said the city\u2019s history in space exploration, along with its STEM education programs and existing partnerships among government, academia and industry, could support the proposed academy.<\/p>\n
\u201cHuntsville\u2019s legacy in space exploration is more than just our history \u2014 the city is a living, thriving engine for America\u2019s future,\u201d Battle said.<\/p>\n
The proposed academy is intended to train future leaders in areas related to space, potentially including scientists, engineers, astronauts and other professionals. The federal commission is evaluating potential locations as part of the process to determine where the institution could be established.<\/p>\n
Alabama\u2019s submission also emphasizes the state\u2019s role in the Apollo program and its continuing involvement in space exploration and national security missions.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith President Trump\u2019s leadership charting a bold course for America\u2019s future in space, we would be proud to help build an academy that strengthens our nation\u2019s leadership for generations to come,\u201d Ivey said.<\/p>\n
The announcement comes one day before President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Alabama. The state\u2019s submission marks the beginning of its effort to compete for the proposed academy, with the commission expected to consider proposals from other potential locations as the selection process moves forward.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WBMA) \u2014 Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has submitted the state\u2019s initial response to a federal commission…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":867378,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[79,193],"class_list":["post-867377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-space","tag-science","tag-space"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/867377","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=867377"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/867377\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/867378"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=867377"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=867377"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=867377"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}