Two hundred years ago, President James Monroe signed a resolution admitting Alabama as the 22nd state of our young nation, entering a year after Illinois and just ahead of Maine. This past weekend, a celebration of two centuries of the history, culture and people of Alabama culminated Dec. 13 and 14 in a grand finale at the state capitol of Montgomery.
The contributions and achievements of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, which calls Huntsville – the “Rocket City” – its home, were highlighted during the commemoration. Huntsville has been the home of one of NASA’s largest field centers since July 1, 1960. Marshall scientists and engineers were at the forefront of the mid-century Space Race, and for nearly 60 years have been continuing to support human space exploration. Today, Marshall has a total workforce of nearly 6,000 employees and an annual budget of approximately $2.8 billion.
Marshall Center Director Jody Singer attended the bicentennial finale events, alongside other notable Alabamians such as former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey.
“Just as we celebrate our 200th year as a state, next year Marshall will celebrate its 60th anniversary helping NASA make human space exploration possible. Our Alabama workforce has been there every step of the way,” said Singer at the event. “And now, we need the support of this great state again as we take the next giant leap through the new Artemis Program, which will land the first woman on the surface of the Moon by 2024.”
For the last three years, all 67 counties of Alabama have been marking the state’s bicentennial birthday with festivals, concerts, parades, lectures and other events. At the finale celebration in Montgomery, thousands filled the streets outside the capitol to watch a parade, which included representatives from the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, which is also located in Huntsville and is the home of Space Camp and one of the largest collections of rockets and space memorabilia in the world.
The events concluded with the official dedication of Alabama Bicentennial Park, located just outside the state capitol, which features 16 bronze plaques mounted on Alabama granite bases, each highlighting a historic milestone or contribution.
Singer and Marshall leadership helped unveil two of the plaques which commemorate some of Alabama’s key moments in space exploration. The first features the building of a Saturn V rocket, which were built and tested at Marshall and carried the first humans to the Moon during the Apollo program. The second features astronauts aboard the International Space Station, which Marshall supports 24/7 year-round from its Payload Operations and Integration Center.
Throughout the celebration, notable Alabamians and many others with strong state ties shared birthday congrats and wishes for the state’s future. Astronaut Lee Morin, who attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1988 and is currently working on the Orion spacecraft at Johnson Space Center, appeared in a video message to the crowd.
“From Apollo to Artemis, the road to space exploration has always passed directly through Alabama and “Rocket City, USA,” he said. “The women and men of Marshall Space Flight Center have helped shape modern spaceflight, and here on the ISS, you continue to make cutting-edge science happen 365 days a year. As we press on to the Moon in 2024, we know we go with your support. From all of us at NASA — Happy Birthday, Alabama!”
For more information on the Marshall Space Flight Center, visit: