Sterling Heights, Michigan, March 25, 2022 – The Michigan Legislature declared March 30 as Space Day, and the Michigan Aerospace Manufacturers Association is recognizing the occasion by convening a group of state lawmakers and business leaders to engage with leading space organizations, learn more about Michigan’s potential growth as a space state and attend a SpaceX launch. 

MAMA has prepared two days of behind-the-scenes access to Florida’s space industry, which includes meeting with members of SpaceX, Blue Origin and other leading space companies about the current space ecosystem and how to attract space ventures to Michigan. 

The group will attend SpaceX’s March 30 launch in Cape Canaveral as part of the company’s Starlink program to develop a low-Earth orbit satellite network that provides low-cost internet to remote locations – similar to MAMA’s proposed SECAM initiative. 

“As we recognize Michigan’s inaugural Space Day, we are gratified to be able to provide this opportunity to offer lawmakers and business leaders a front seat view of one of the premier space economies,” MAMA Executive Director Gavin Brown said. “This is an important moment for our state’s growing space ecosystem and will be a tremendous opportunity for our government and business sectors to connect with the world’s top space leaders to learn about Michigan’s future growth. 

“We appreciate the Legislature’s formal declaration of Space Day and its recognition of the 600-plus aerospace-related companies in our state that produce more than $3 billion in annual revenue. We hope to continue to provide our stakeholders these invaluable opportunities as we work to position Michigan as a leader in this lucrative $253 billion industry.” 

Brown noted several key factors that make Michigan an excellent location to be the epicenter of MidAmerica’s space ecosystem, including:

• Incredible human talent, with the highest concentration of electrical and mechanical engineers nationwide and more industrial designers employed than any other state. 
• Unparalleled manufacturing prowess and technical expertise, with manufacturing-friendly tax laws and one of the most favorable business climates in the Midwest. 
• Critical infrastructure at Sawyer International Airport in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport in Oscoda, which feature runways approximately 12,000 feet in length – long enough to accommodate aircraft needed for certain space-related tests. 
• The largest amount of restricted airspace east of the Mississippi River with multiple military operating areas in the Great Lakes region. 
• Prime location in the Upper Midwest, which offers opportunities to locate facilities in areas with sparse population to create safe testing corridors. 
• Convenient access and proximity to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the national manufacturing innovation institute, LIFT, and its eight research partners: Carnegie-Mellon University, Michigan State University, Michigan Technological University, Purdue University, The Ohio State University, University of Notre Dame, University of Michigan and Western Michigan University.

Lawmakers passed a bipartisan resolution on March 24 to make March 30 Space Day in Michigan. 

MAMA’s other major programs include the Michigan Launch Initiative to solidify the state’s place as a premier commercial aerospace ecosystem, creating three sites: horizontal and vertical launch facilities to provide low Earth orbit satellite launch sites and a command and control center to manage postlaunch satellite operations. 

The company is also working to convene organizations in the commercial, academic and defense sectors to develop a hypersonic suborbital test range through its proposed Mid-America Hypersonic Suborbital Test Range initiative. This “hypersonic corridor” would stretch from the Upper Peninsula out to the eastern seaboard and give commercial and defense developers the opportunity to test hypersonic technology. 

About MAMA

Michigan Aerospace Manufacturers Association is a member-supported organization that serves the interests of Michigan’s aerospace and defense manufacturing firms with a single unified voice, promoting the state of Michigan’s aerospace and defense manufacturing community within the global industry. Visit michman.org for more information. 

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