HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — From the Saturn V to the Space Launch System, Huntsville continues to cement its legacy as the Rocket City. Keeping the momentum going is a top priority for the region’s business recruiters, who are constantly asking, “What’s next?”

Leaders from Huntsville and Madison County are joining others from across Alabama this week at the Paris Air Show, the aerospace and aviation industry’s premier event of the year.

A current focus is helping identify commercial customers for a low-Earth orbit economy, said Lucia Cape, senior vice president of economic development for the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce.

“We see this as an opportunity to expand what we’re good at and find ways to leverage our existing assets into new markets,” she said.

Such commercial customers may build platforms, vehicles or other equipment used in low-Earth orbit, or they be involved in research that would be enhanced by microgravity.

Cape cites the region’s efforts surrounding the Sierra Space Dream Chaser spaceplane as another way to stimulate a commercial low-Earth orbit economy.

CHASING DREAMS

Last year, the Huntsville International Airport won FAA approval to allow commercial space vehicles, such as the Dream Chaser, to land on its runway, making it the first commercial airport in the U.S. licensed to operate as a re-entry site for space vehicles.

That move was the culmination of a vision set in motion seven years earlier, when city leaders launched a feasibility study. The Dream Chaser is a reusable re-entry vehicle that is currently scheduled to deliver supplies to the International Space Station on its first mission late this year.

“It shows how long the lead time is for some of these projects and the importance of having a vision of what’s possible and achieving it,” Cape said. “That’s why we keep going to the air shows and asking: ‘What’s the next incremental step?’”

The region’s other target industries in the aerospace and defense sector include deep space access and exploration, rocket propulsion systems, directed energy weapons, hypersonic technologies and unmanned aircraft systems.

Huntsville has long been the major hub of Alabama’s aerospace industry, dating back to the early days of the U.S. space program when the Saturn V rocket that powered the Apollo moon missions was developed.

That legacy of innovation and exploration has continued and grown exponentially over the decades, as the sprawling operations of Marshall Space Flight Center and Redstone Arsenal are a massive conduit for ongoing work

Local business expansions in the last year alone include those at Boeing, Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and other global industry players.

Last fall, Huntsville also had a key role in the successful inaugural mission of the Space Launch System — NASA’s next-generation rocket that is leading the way for future deep space travel.

“Huntsville and its surrounding communities comprise a dynamic region of discovery and expertise that is always on the leading edge of the latest breakthroughs and advanced technology in the industry worldwide,” said Greg Canfield, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, who witnessed at the launch.

“Keeping pace with ever-changing innovation is crucial for this region and for Alabama to continue to grow the local sector and provide excellent jobs and quality of life for workers across the state.”

SPACE CAMP

Another important development for Huntsville’s workforce is the opening of a new Space Operations Center at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center’s Space Camp. Since the 1980s, more than 1 million campers from 150 countries have been immersed in STEM education and inspired toward careers in related fields at Space Camp.

Cape said Space Camp is a great workforce development partner.

“Not only are they inspiring people to go into the space industry, but they also draw a lot of people to Huntsville as a place to work outside of the space industry,” she said. “I run into a lot of people who learned of us because their son or daughter went to Space Camp.

“So, it’s not just an asset for our aerospace workforce, but for overall awareness of Huntsville as a smart place for all kinds of jobs.”

‘SECOND ACTS’

Beyond the aerospace and defense industries, the Huntsville area has a diverse economy, from the entrepreneurial hub of the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology to high-tech engine and assembly operations for global automakers Toyota and Mazda. Other big industries include logistics, information systems and security operations.

And in a relatively new focus, the city is seeking to build its music industry with new performance venues, production facilities and other infrastructure as an important element of a well-rounded and vibrant economy.

Such diversity is another asset as Huntsville continues to build its aerospace industry, Cape said.

For instance, Huntsville is home to the most engineers per capita in the U.S., but not everyone is an engineer. Having a wide range of job opportunities, as well as opportunities to grow, advance or even change a career is important to companies looking for a longtime home.

“I’ve seen people who spent a career as an engineer go into the creative world and make guitars or brew beer. There are a lot of second acts here,” Cape said.

“This is a community of people who make things and make things better. There are a lot of problem solvers, who instead of seeing a problem, search for a solution, and that attitude really permeates the community.”