Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle spoke about U.S. Space Command's relocation to the Rocket City during his State of the City address on Friday, calling it not just a success for Huntsville but America as a whole.
In his address titled "Rocket to Tomorrow," Battle pointed to the collaborative efforts between local officials and state and federal authorities as a key factor in preparing for an influx of employees from Colorado who will fill approximately 1400 jobs.
"We're proud to be the future home of US Space Command at Redstone Arsenal," said Battle. "Our teams have been working hand in hand with state and federal partners to ensure a smooth transition, and we stand ready for the 1400 new jobs that will join our workforce over the next five years."
The mayor emphasized that the relocation of Space Command represents more than just a win for Huntsville.
"There's a lot of work happening to make this a success. And let me emphasize, this is not just a success for Huntsville. It can't be just a success for Huntsville," Battle noted. "It has to be a success for our nation and for our world this is a mission, and this mission is bigger than just Huntsville or anybody else."
"The mission is protecting our assets in space," he added. "That's not abstract. It's essential. Every day our satellites connect us, from banking and commerce to communications and national defense, and keeping that infrastructure safe keeps our world running."
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Battle touted Huntsville's established reputation for technological innovation and its ability to "shape the next frontier."
"And here in Huntsville, from propulsion systems to lunar habitats, from deep space missions to commercial space innovation, our engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs are shaping the next frontier hustle in just part of the space story we're helping to write its future," Battle added.
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