Following the conclusion of World War II, the U.S. government began shuttering military installations across the country, including the Yuma Army Airfield. Wanting to show that Yuma’s sunny weather could still be an asset to the military, two veterans embarked on a mission in 1949 where they flew for 46 consecutive days. Their gambit became international news and kept the airfield open. Today, communities across Southern Arizona are building on a legacy of aerospace and defense by once again leaning into the state’s natural advantages.
Doulgas Nicholls, mayor of the City of Yuma, intends to do so by creating a spaceport within the municipality. When the Arizona Space Commission was reinvigorated earlier this year, Nicholls was appointed by Gov. Katie Hobbs to help define the strategy for further developing the state’s aerospace industry.
“Globally, aerospace is projected to be a $732 billion industry by 2030,” Nicholls says during AAED’s Southern Summit. “Satellite launches are growing by 20% year-over-year, and there are only 14 commercial space ports in the country, which sounds like a lot, but it’s not nearly enough.”
WATCH: Arizona Space Summit, featuring Shruti Gurudanti, Rose Law Group partner and leader of the firm’s space law practice
The Arizona Space Summit landed in Tempe for a daylong event that featured influential leaders and decision-makers from Arizona and beyond engaging in critical discussions aimed at propelling the state’s space economy.
Shruti Gurudanti, Rose Law Group partner and leader of the firm’s space law practice, joined members of the newly established Arizona Space Commission in sharing insights on their goals in supporting the space sector. The session, ‘Arizona’s State of Space,’ further highlighted how the summit helps shape the state’s roadmap for growth and informs its strategy as an emerging hub for commercial space activities. Tune in to the session here.
More to watch: Other sessions at the summit included: Semiconductor Synergies, Testing Infrastructure, Research Powerhouses, Financing Strategies, Space Habitation, Space Mining, and Cyber Resilience. To watch any or all of them, go here or click through to the YouTube playlist.
