NASA and Virginia Come Together to Talk Aerospace (with video)
Amid the hustle and bustle on the nine floors of the Virginia General Assembly building in Richmond, about 75 representatives from NASA and the aerospace industry spoke to every single member during a two-day awareness campaign called Aerospace Day 2014.
In small teams, they moved from office to office, expressing thanks and noting the impact of the aerospace industry in Virginia –$36.4 billion, 28,110 high-paying jobs, $57.5 million in state tax revenues and a highly skilled workforce.
“There’s only one word we can use to describe the impact that Wallops and NASA have had, it’s ‘Wow.'” said Sen. John Cosgrove. “It’s just amazing … we’re just so excited. We take pride for being in your corner and supporting you.”
House Speaker William Howell spoke about being at the launch of STS-135 in 2011. Sitting by his side, astronaut Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger shared that she was also there as a ‘Cape Crusader,’ preparing the shuttle for the crew.
Metcalf-Lindenburger also spoke with two Virginia classrooms through distance-learning sessions about her 2010 flight to the International Space Station on the space shuttle Discovery, and the “new forefront” that will be achieved through the first flight of the agency’s Orion spacecraft this September.
Sen. Lynwood Lewis recalled taking his eight-year-old son to a launch this year at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. After the launch, someone from NASA told his son: “Things here will never be the same.” Lewis, a native of Virginia’s Eastern Shore, responded: “I think he is right.”
In Del. Rob Bell’s office, Chris Carter said the organization for which he is deputy director – the Virginia Space Grant Consortium – has “touched every house and senate district.”
Former Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars student and high school senior Alex Hsain, said she “genuinely hopes that programs like these will be offered to other students in the future.”
In a later meeting, Del. Tom Rust expressed “no doubt” that NASA and the aerospace industry are an asset to the state.
Other conversations touched on making aircraft more efficient and safe, the development of space technologies to enable exploration beyond low Earth orbit and science missions that inform policy makers.
Some members asked about advanced materials and manufacturing, and participants spoke about NASA Langley’s capabilities in that area, as well as becoming the first government member of the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing in Virginia.
During Aerospace Day, NASA Langley Acting Center Director Jurczyk and Wallops Director Bill Wrobel met with Virginia’s governor, lieutenant governor, and secretaries of education, commerce, technology, agriculture, natural resources, and finance. They, along with Metcalf-Lindenberger, gave presentations to the House Education Committee.
Throughout the event, Jurczyk and Wrobel expressed their excitement that Virginia was included in the recent Unmanned Aerial Systems test site selection by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and spoke about collaborative opportunities with the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership and the FAA. They also spoke about the uniqueness of Virginia having two NASA centers in the state.
Dale Nash, executive director for the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority, noted that Wallops has launched five successful missions from its two launch pads in the past year.
“We have a really a really good mix of talent. We’re a spaceport and we’re in the business, undoubtedly in the business, everyone knows now,” Nash said. “We’ve definitely delivered on a promise and we’re continuing to grow that up.”
As Aerospace Day was concluding, Jurczyk, Wrobel, Nash and Metcalf-Lindenberger met with members of the Hampton Roads Caucus.
“I can confidently say that every year it (Aerospace Day) gets better and we reach more members and have more rich conversations about aerospace in the Commonwealth, and what we’re doing to advance not only NASA’s objectives but NASA’s collaboration with the state of Virginia,” Jurczyk said.
Though the event was coming to an end, many of the conversations were just getting started.
“I think we’ve just scratched the surface,” said Sen. Lewis.
