News: Governor Martin O’Malley Launches New Space Business Development Initiative
Wednesday, July 6th, 2011
Greenbelt, MD (PRWEB) May 23, 2011
Governor Martin O?Malley today unveiled a bold new initiative to increase the business development and commercialization opportunities of the state?s space industry at the Maryland Space Business Roundtable in Greenbelt. Speaking before over 500 members of the Roundtable, the Governor reinforced the O?Malley-Brown Administration?s commitment to this vibrant sector and outlined new policy initiatives and investments in Maryland: The Business of Space Science.
?Working side-by-side with our congressional delegation and our ‘Space Senator,’ Barbara Mikulski, we will pursue program policies to leverage our federal facilities and institutions of science and discovery to unlock the enormous economic and employment potential of Maryland?s space sector,? Governor O’Malley said. ?The breakthroughs and innovations occurring in Maryland at NASA, NOAA, Johns Hopkins, APL and other institutions represent new frontiers for commercialization and business development in areas like carbon monitoring, manufacturing and life sciences.”
Joining Governor O?Malley were the state?s top public, private and academic leaders including NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Director Rob Strain and Associate Administrator Ed Weiler, MSBR President and Raytheon Scientist Dr. Philip Ardanuy, NOAA?s Office of Systems Development Director Gary Davis, Johns Hopkins University President Ronald Daniels, Space Telescope Institute Director Dr. Matt Mountain, Applied Physics Lab Chief Technology Officer John Sommerer, and University of Maryland System Chancellor Dr. Brit Kirwan.
During his remarks, the Governor pledged to create a Space Development office within the Department of Business & Economic Development, establish a space-related business incubator, advocate for a proposed National Center of Climate & Environmental Information and expand manufacturing of satellite instruments and their components.
Governor O?Malley also recognized the importance of NASA?s Wallops Flight Facility to Maryland?s space science industry and economy. Located on Virginia?s Eastern Shore, just five miles from the Maryland border, Wallops has an economic impact of more than $ 188 million and generates 2,341 jobs for the Lower Eastern Shore region.
“Fifty years after President Kennedy called for our country to send a man to the moon, America is no longer in a space race – we?re in a race for our economic future. To win that race we must again work together to out-innovate, out-educate and out-build,? said Senator Barbara A. Mikulski. ?That?s why I fight so hard to invest in Maryland?s federal assets like NASA Goddard, NOAA and NIST. I will continue to work with Governor O?Malley in support of Maryland Space Tech, so we can keep leveraging our federal investment to create jobs in space science, space flight and satellite servicing.?
Governor O?Malley called for the Space Business Roundtable to work with him to brand the area around NASA Goddard, NOAA?s Silver Spring and Suitland campuses, and University of Maryland as the ?Climate Corridor? and outlined a four-point plan to: