Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, health officials have sounded the alarm that there would be a second or even third wave.
They were right.
While cases are surging nationwide, including Alabama, there is hope two vaccines will be available as soon as mid-December.
But there won’t be a magic bullet. The general public might not be able to get a vaccine until summer as health care workers and high-risk elderly are first in line.
Also, the surge currently underway will likely rise as the weather cools and a Thanksgiving spike is expected to last throughout the holidays.
Officials at the weekly virus update provided a grim outlook for the near future as hospitalizations are trending up at an “alarming rate’’ and straining front-line workers.
“Our issue is not going to be space,’’ said Huntsville Hospital CEO David Spillers. “We’ve got a lot of big facilities and we’ve got a lot of places to put people.
“Our issue is going to be staff.’’
According to Madison County Commission Chairman Dale Strong, there are currently 235 health care providers out “because they’ve either contracted COVID or they’re displaying symptoms.’’
As of Thursday morning there were a total of 260,359 confirmed virus cases and 3,766 deaths in the state. Those numbers stood at 14,253 and 153 in Madison County.
Huntsville Hospital facilities in Decatur and Marshall County are running out of space and elective surgeries have once again been suspended.
“Our physicians, our nurses, the folks that are keeping our hospitals clean are doing a phenomenal job,’’ Strong said. “But I’m telling you right now — we’re not to the end of this road, and we want to be sure not to scare the public, but this is real.
“This is the most real situation of our generation. We’ve got to take it seriously.”
Spillers said about 12 percent of those hospitalized with COVID-19 die, which could create a morbid situation if the toll of deaths spikes. Huntsville Hospital’s morgue holds 10 bodies and, if necessary, a makeshift morgue might have to be added outside the building.
“The funeral homes cannot process people quickly enough so you create a bottleneck and when you create a bottleneck it’s just like a traffic jam,’’ he said.
“It’s a terrible thing to happen, but at the rate we’re going it could likely happen here.’’
One positive is Huntsville Hospital has the refrigeration equipment needed to store the vaccines, which require Arctic-like temperatures. But when the vaccines start arriving, the virus won’t suddenly disappear.
“The two vaccines that we’re made aware of right now are two-dose vaccines,” Huntsville-Madison County Emergency Management Agency Director Jeff Birdwell said. “You take the first dose, then it’s 21 days later that you take the second dose.
“Then there’s a period of time where even after that second dose that immunity has to take place through that process. So just that process, you’re looking at over a month for just that person. So it’s not going to happen quickly.”
https://huntsvillebusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/COVID_Update.png5551366Mike Easterlinghttps://huntsvillebusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/HBJ-Logo.pngMike Easterling2020-12-04 07:09:002020-12-04 07:09:00Vaccine on Horizon, but COVID-19 Pandemic is Straining Front-Line Personnel
It’s not just retailers and restaurants that are providing curbside service during the pandemic.
The Huntsville-Madison County Public Library Ready Reader program has been providing curbside delivery of its services, as well.
And now, thanks to a funding gift from Madison County Commission Chairman Dale Strong, the library’s outreach services have a new van to make deliveries easier. It will join the Bookmobile in the library’s fleet of vehicles that brings library services to the community.
The new van will be used to support the Ready Reader program, a monthly literacy program the library provides for all three area school systems. It serves about 100 Title 1 Pre-K and Head Start classrooms monthly in Madison County with books, teachers’ kits, and story time; and focuses on pre-literacy skills that help lay the groundwork for academic success and help foster a lifelong love of learning.
“The Ready Reader vehicle is a valuable tool to the children and students of our three public school systems to encourage a love of reading, imagination, and creativity,” said Strong. “In today’s unique learning environment at both the school and home, expanding the reach of important educational tools to our children is another way we can invest in their future.”
“In addition to our 11 locations throughout Madison County, the Outreach Department provides crucial library services to many in our community, including seniors and preschoolers,” said Mandy Pinyan, the library’s Outreach Manager. “This program is one of the most important things the Library does because we are reaching children who may not otherwise come into one of our locations. We are essentially a library on wheels, reaching children at an age when they are beginning to develop the literacy skills they need.”
The new vehicle replaces its 1996 model, which will be used for other library needs.
The vehicle will also be used to support other programs once the pandemic has ended to include puppet shows, STEM programs and summer reading.
(Pictured: Madison County Commission Chairman Dale W. Strong, HMCPL Interim Executive Director Cindy Hewitt, HMCPL Board Member Carla Clift and students from Blossomwood Elementary)
https://huntsvillebusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Madison-County-Commission-Chairman-Dale-W.-Strong-HMCPL-Interim-Executive-Director-Cindy-Hewitt-and-HMCPL-Board-Member-Carla-Clift-stand-with-students-from-Blossomwood-Elementary-scaled.jpg7001050Kimberly Ballardhttps://huntsvillebusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/HBJ-Logo.pngKimberly Ballard2020-11-02 12:43:552020-11-02 12:43:55Ready. Set. Read! New Library Van Connects Communities to Literacy
A 200-year-old legendary gunmaker will be disarmed today.
Huntsville-based Remington Outdoor will be broken up and sold after a bankruptcy auction, in which seven companies won the bidding for pieces of the company’s weapons and ammunition businesses, according to several news reports.
A hearing to approve the auction results is scheduled for today in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Decatur.
Remington opened a plant and its headquarters near Huntsville International Airport in Huntsville in 2014. The New York-based gunmaker was lured by nearly $70 million in incentives, including $9.5 million from Huntsville, $2 million from the Madison County Commission and $1 million from the Huntsville Industrial Development Board.
Sales of Remington’s ammunition and weapons manufacturing business, the Remington brand and others will bring in at least $155 million to be applied against the company’s debts, reports have said.
Cerberus Capital Management had acquired Remington in 2007, and the firearms and ammunition giant accumulated nearly $1 billion in debt.
The company said it had $437.5 million in sales last year, about half the business it did in 2016, reports said.
Remington filed for bankruptcy July 27. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court approved the bidding and auction procedures Aug. 20.
For calendar year 2019, aggregate net sales by the Remington ammunition and accessories brands were approximately $200 million, according to Bloomberg.
Minnesota-based Vista Outdoor will acquire Remington’s ammunition manufacturing facility in Arkansas, and related intellectual property, including the Remington brand and trademarks, for $81.4 million.
Sturm Ruger offered $30 million for Remington’s Marlin firearms, court papers show, with Roundhill Group paying $13 million for its non-Marlin weapons operations.
Missouri-based Sierra Bullets will pay $30.5 million for Remington’s Barnes ammunition.
JJE Capital Holdings LLC is buying H&R, Stormlake, AAC and Parker brands, while Sportsman’s Warehouse is getting the Tapco brand, court papers reveal.
Nevada’s Franklin Armory was the winning bidder for the Bushmaster brand.
https://huntsvillebusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/remington.jpg180300staff reportshttps://huntsvillebusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/HBJ-Logo.pngstaff reports2020-09-29 07:47:162020-09-29 07:49:19Hearing Today in Bankruptcy Court on Remington Break-up, Sale
Ever notice the rising landmass at the southwest end of Leeman Ferry Road that can be seen for miles around and was once the site of a rock quarry?
It’s officially known as a Modern Landfill and it contains non-hazardous refuse. They’re known colloquially as “trash mountains.’’ There’s even a recreation area in Virginia Beach, Va., called Mount Trashmore that was built on top of two landfills in 1974.
But while the Huntsville Solid Waste Disposal Authority (SWDA) has used modern technology in operating the landfill since 1988, the idea of a “trash mountain’’ is an idea that traces back to ancient Rome. For 250 years, carefully piled used jars created Monte Testaccio, which means “Mountain of Jars.’’
This was no dumpsite, and neither is Huntsville Modern Landfill.
“Our facilities are engineered facilities that are highly regulated by both the ADEM and the United States Environmental Protection Agency,’’ said John “Doc’’ Holladay, executive director of the SWDA. “The Authority has invested and will continue to invest tens of millions of dollars to design, build, operate, close and conduct post-closure care for a minimum of 30 years to ensure these facilities will be protective of human health and the environment in this community.
“The landfill is a vital public service provided by the Authority, in combination with the Waste-to-Energy facility, for the waste produced by the citizens, businesses, industries and institutions of the City of Huntsville, City of Madison and Madison County. The landfill is highly regulated by the ADEM through state-of-the-art technical standards to ensure that it is designed, built, operated, and closed in a manner to protect the citizens and the environment of this community.’’
No long-term plans have been decided on for the landfill, which is not close to full and has years of life remaining. A section of the site, however, is already being used by hobbyists.
“The exact end uses have not been decided at this time,’’ Holladay said. “The life of this landfill is projected to be greater than 30 years so as we get closer to that time, the Authority will determine what would be the most suitable long-term end use of this facility for the citizens of this community.
“Currently, a closed-out portion of the landfill is being utilized by the Rocket City Radio Controllers as an airfield for remote-controlled airplanes and helicopters.’’
The SWDA manages two landfills, neither of which accepts hazardous material:
Municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills are designed to accept mainly residential (kitchen waste, bathroom trash cans, etc.), commercial (apartment complexes, universities, and restaurants, etc.) and non-hazardous institutional waste. These types of landfills require plastic liners, leachate collection systems and methane gas collection systems. Methane gas collection systems are required once a landfill reaches a certain tonnage and generates a certain level of regulated landfill gas emissions.
Construction and demolition (C&D) waste landfills have different engineering and environmental standards than the MSW landfills. Construction and Demolition landfills not only accept construction and demolition waste but also inert waste such as old furniture, mattresses, trees/branches and yard waste. The slope that is visible from John Hunt Park is the C&D portion of the landfill.’’
The landfill will continue to grow, but the mounds created by the refuse do decompose.
“Both landfills are projected to last for another 30-plus years,’’ Holladay said. “As you are aware, the Authority has been actively engaged in adopting and implementing strategies that reduce the volume of waste that is disposed of in landfills for quite some time. In fact, two of those initiatives are over 30 years old, and a third initiative will celebrate its 25th anniversary next year.
“The waste-to-energy plant not only recovers the energy embedded in waste to produce steam for Redstone Arsenal, but it also reduces the volume of waste by 90 percent which reduces the amount of waste that has to be disposed of in the MSW Landfill. After combustion, the ash is transported to the MSW cell for disposal. However, prior to placing the ash in the landfill, the ferrous and non-ferrous metals are removed and recycled.’’
The Authority further seeks to reduce waste volumes being disposed of in the landfill by providing services that can be found at www.swdahsv.org.
https://huntsvillebusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/IMG_9244PS-1-scaled.jpg6091050Mike Easterlinghttps://huntsvillebusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/HBJ-Logo.pngMike Easterling2020-08-04 07:01:192020-08-04 07:01:45‘Trash Mountain’ a Modern Landfill Rising over Southwest Huntsville
Downtown Huntsville Inc. has thrown its collective weight behind efforts to remove of a Confederate memorial statue that was placed on the Courthouse Square downtown by the Daughters of the Confederacy in 1905.
The letter from the organization said DHI advocated “the removal and relocation of the Confederate Memorial from the Downtown Huntsville Courthouse Square to a historically-contextual location that would allow our community to learn from the great pain that this memorial represents while also removing it from our community’s courthouse grounds.’’
The letter was in response to protests that followed the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a since-arrested white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee on his neck for more than eight minutes. During the protest in the downtown Huntsville area, there were chants of “take the statue down.’’
The Madison County Commission and the Huntsville City Council each unanimously approved moves to relocate the statue.
The county will submit an application to the state for a waiver to legislation prohibiting the removal of statues and monuments.
The Alabama Memorial Preservation Act was signed into law in 2017 and prohibits the removal of any monument that’s stood 40 years or more. However, Birmingham and Mobile have removed statues without the state’s permission. Violating the law results in a $25,000 fine. Tennessee Valley Progressives, an organization that has pushed for the statue’s removal, reopened a GoFunMe account to raise money to pay the fine.
The City Council last week passed a resolution to work with the county on relocating the monument.
The base of the statue is inscribed with, “In memory of the heroes who fell in defence of the principles which gave birth to the Confederate cause.’’
Not surprisingly Chad Emerson, CEO of DHI, said there has been some negative feedback to his group’s support of moving the memorial. He said he’s also heard plenty of support.
“Nowadays in the world with the World Wide Web, there’ll always be someone expressing an opinion that’s contrary. But we’ve largely found that other entities and faith groups and individuals have supported this measure to remove and relocate.
“In fact both the County Commission and City Council have voted unanimously in support of that position. So it feels like there is a strong community-wide consensus to remove and relocate to a historically contextual location.’’
Emerson suggested one suitable site to relocate the statue, which is under the direction of the Madison County Commission, is the Confederate cemetery at Maple Hill Cemetery.
“We believe that that is an equitable decision for both all the people that visit downtown as well as go to the courts as well as for the business,” Emerson said. “We’ve had a lot of the downtown area businesses say they would like to have that removed to a historical location because it is viewed by some of the customers as devisive.”
Here is the text of the statement, which was signed by Emerson and DHI Board Chair William Stroud:
“The tragic killing of George Floyd has magnified the deep pain experienced by African American and other members of our community,” the DHI statement said. “We are heartbroken by this pain and believe a true path toward healing requires more than words of reconciliation or statements of empathy and support.
“Rather, this path toward understanding and healing requires specific actions to directly advance this critical process. Today, we advocate that one such step should be the removal and relocation of the Confederate Memorial from the Downtown Huntsville Courthouse Square to a historically-contextual location that would allow our community to learn from the great pain that this memorial represents while also removing it from our community’s courthouse grounds.
“We implore our government leaders on all levels to utilize all available means to take this step to promote the healing process. We understand that the removal and relocation of this artifact will not remove historical prejudices and pain by itself, but we hope it represents a sincere statement to our fellow community members that we are listening to their pain and seek to meaningfully further a process of healing together with them.”
https://huntsvillebusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/0x68Y1_0PJWqGDl00.jpg424491Mike Easterlinghttps://huntsvillebusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/HBJ-Logo.pngMike Easterling2020-06-15 08:06:492020-06-15 08:06:49Downtown Huntsville Inc. Joins Effort to Move Confederate Monument from Courthouse Grounds
An elevator shaft stands tall as crews move dirt and erect structures over nearly eight acres of land at the corner of Oakwood Avenue and North Memorial Parkway, the latest project taking shape in the city landscape that is changing daily.
This project — on the site that was housed grocery chain stores Albertson’s and Bruno’s and most recently a Halloween haunted house – will become the Madison County service center.
The 60,000-square foot complex will house county offices of the tax assessor, tax collector, license director, voter registrar, sales tax and probate judge.
“This is scheduled to be open first quarter of 2021,’’ Madison County Commissioner Dale Strong said. “There will be right at 400 free parking spaces for Madison County residents to do their business.’’
Strong recently visited a major project — the new FBI campus in the center of Redstone Arsenal.
Strong said he was also briefed by Robert Hamilton, the FBI Senior Executive at Redstone Arsenal. Hamilton is leading the transition of multiple FBI offices there.
“There is right at $700 million currently under construction and 500 employees working for the FBI,’’ Strong said. “They are anticipating for 2020 there will be 1,000 people who will be hired.
“We’re going from 500 to 1,500 by the end of 2020; so that’s really exciting.’’
The FBI has announced plans to bring as many as 4,000 job to the new site over the next eight to 10 years.
Strong also said there is $350 million worth of transportation projects either under construction, in design, or recently completed in the county.
“That’s the efforts of a lot of hard work not only here locally by mayors and county commissions, but also with our legislative body in Montgomery and also with our folks in (Washington) D.C.,’’ he said. “We’re looking in the next three years to have somewhere around 14,000 new jobs to be filled with a 1.8 percent multiplier, which leads you to about 25,000 jobs.
“Then, if you look at the retail commercial businesses like McDonald’s and Walmart, we probably are looking at a somewhere around 50,000 in the next three years in employment numbers.’’
Strong, who graduated from Sparkman High School, will deliver the annual State of the County address Jan. 28.
“These are exciting times,’’ he said. “This is the best economy my generation has ever seen.’’
https://huntsvillebusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/HBJCountyCourthouse.jpg340500Mike Easterlinghttps://huntsvillebusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/HBJ-Logo.pngMike Easterling2020-01-22 06:29:242020-01-22 06:29:24Madison County Moving to Meet Continued Growth
It’s too early to tell how or if Remington’s recent
furloughs will affect its agreement with the city of Huntsville, according to
city officials.
June 3 marked the first day of about a two-month furlough
for about 200 workers at the Remington plant in Huntsville. Workers are
expected to return in mid-August.
Following the company’s emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy
last year, which saw $775 million in debt converted to equity and the company
receive $193 million in a new lending package funded by seven banks, the city
of Huntsville renegotiated the original incentive package that was put in place
when Remington decided to move here.
Last November, the city council approved a new deal that
gave Remington an extra three years to meet its objective of employing 1,868
employees or the company forfeits its $12.5 million incentive package provided
by the city of Huntsville, the Madison County Commission and the Industrial
Development Board.
“Part of the revised agreement gives the company flexibility to respond to market shifts, as long as they fulfill long-term obligations,” Kelly Schrimsher, director of communications for the city of Huntsville, said. “There are benchmarks where the company’s performance is analyzed. These include performance numbers for wages and employees. The next reporting period will be Dec. 31, 2019. Compliance reports, however, will not be delivered until spring of 2020.
“Until the city and state see that report, it would be
premature to speculate on Remington’s performance.”
According to reports, Remington has already lost $3 million
from a withheld cash incentive payment from the state and repaid more than
$500,000 for failing to meet various job and payroll targets, which was part of
an overall $70 million incentive package.
Remington did not respond to requests for information by
deadline.
Huntsville officials still believe Remington is committed to
meeting its goals and to the city.
“This is a 200-year old company in the process of
restructuring and reshaping its future to meet a changing marketplace,”
Schrimsher said. “The CEO’s office is now in Huntsville. We believe the company
is committed to having a strong presence here, and our agreement gives them
time to work through their reorganization.
“Conversations to date have reflected this continued
commitment.”
Schrimsher also said the city is well protected under the
agreement it has with Remington.
“The city still has 100 percent control of the Remington
campus,” she said. “To date, Remington has not earned any percentage of the
facility. Should Remington ultimately be found in default of its contract, the
company would owe the city $12.5 million, which was the city’s investment in
the project or surrender the campus. The campus market value far exceeds the
$12.5 million mortgage.
“Huntsville’s investment was relatively small considering
the hundreds of millions of dollars Remington has invested in the plant and
payroll to date. If Remington walked away tomorrow, Huntsville would be made
whole.”
Schrimsher cited the positive impact Remington had after
locating in the city from a jobs standpoint, regardless of what happens in the
future.
“To put this in further perspective, the Huntsville
marketplace is in an entirely different position when Remington entered in
2014,” she said. “At that time, Huntsville was heavily dependent upon federal
employment dollars, and Mayor Tommy Battle and the Chamber (of Commerce) were
working hard to diversify and expand our employment base beyond federal
contracting. Advanced manufacturing was a target market, but it’s also highly
competitive, and every state in the country is fighting for good-paying jobs
for skilled workers.
“Landing the Remington plant put Huntsville on the map for
advanced manufacturing. After the Remington announcement,
the city caught the eye of Polaris, then GE Aviation, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Blue
Origin, and now Mazda-Toyota. Remington was a catalytic project for Huntsville.
At present, there are thousands of jobs available for highly skilled workers in
Huntsville.”
https://huntsvillebusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/remington_webimage.jpg316833Jonathan Stinsonhttps://huntsvillebusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/HBJ-Logo.pngJonathan Stinson2019-07-03 08:17:482019-07-08 15:11:39Despite Remington Money Woes and Furloughs, Incentives are Protected
Since the launch of the International Space Station some 20
years ago, the idea of space, especially low-Earth orbit, has been as one big
start-up business.
With Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaser spacecraft jumping into
the commercial resupply mission lane, the whole commercialization of space
concept got very interesting for Huntsville.
If all goes as planned, the busy little Dream Chaser
spacecraft will make its maiden landing at the Huntsville International Airport
in 2023. It will be the first and only commercial airport licensed by the FAA
for a spaceplane landing. The only other designated landing site will be
Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
“There is a whole new business going on up there and people
who create NASA policy like the idea of the commercialization of space,” said
Lee Jankowski, senior director of Business Development for Teledyne Brown
Engineering in Huntsville. He is also the program manager for the $1 million
project to obtain two special FAA licenses so the Dream Chaser spacecraft can
land at Huntsville International Airport.
If this sounds far-fetched, that’s what
Jankowski thought too, five years ago.
While known for the business of rocketry and
propulsion. Huntsville also contributes to other areas of space
exploration, such as payload science analysis,
operations, and integration.
Sierra Nevada rendering shows Dream Chaser docked with International Space Station
Teledyne Brown Engineering in Huntsville has handled all science payload operations for the Space Shuttle missions for nearly 20 years. The company has a Payload Operations Control Center at Marshall Space Flight Center and the contract was renewed to manage resupply efforts and payloads to the International Space Station.
“TBE and our subcontractors understand how to
plan out the science while it’s onboard; how to train for it; how to execute
it; and how to get it back down to Earth to maximize its scientific return,”
said Jankowski. “With the shuttle program, Teledyne Brown planned one- or two-week missions that occurred three or
four times a year.
“With the space station, we are up there 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. That’s a
lot of science.”
Huntsville’s
Story
Jankowski believes there is a compelling story
to be told for why landing the Dream Chaser in Huntsville makes sense.
“There are two different mission sets or two different
orbits for Huntsville to consider,” he said. “Let’s say we have a mission that
goes up from Kennedy, resupplies the space station and, when it comes down,
lands in Huntsville.”
This is not an implausible scenario, he said, because the
Marshall Space Flight Center has a lot of hardware flying around up there that
needs to be returned.
The second mission set would be going back to Spacelab-type
payload missions. Many Huntsville entities such as Marshall and HudsonAlpha
already have payloads. Why not plan a return mission that is more North
Alabama-centric?
Sierra Nevada rendering shows projects being offloaded from Dream Chaser on the runway.
A standalone Huntsville payload mission landing here
carrying specimens, hardware, or other science can be immediately offloaded
from the space vehicle and delivered pronto to the scientists, universities,
and companies in this area.
So Many Possibilities
Most of the early missions will be unmanned and flown
autonomously but the Dream Chaser was originally designed for a crew of at
least six. The interior has been modified to better accommodate supply runs to
the space station, but Sierra Nevada is still focused on getting a U.S. astronaut
back to the space station on a U.S. vehicle.
“A Dream Chaser landing capability here opens up so many
possibilities,” Jankowski said. “Exposure to cutting-edge concepts and, let’s
say we only get one landing. We are looking at job growth. We will need processing
facilities and manpower to build, operate and integrate payloads.”
For the third straight year, the Huntsville-Madison County
Chamber of Commerce has sponsored a
European Space Agency competition, seeking applications for the Dream
Chaser that would land in Huntsville.
“The Space Exploration Masters
competition with the European Space Agency and our partner, Astrosat, a
Scottish space services company, has given us a world stage for promoting our
space, science and technology ecosystem,” said Lucia Cape, the Chamber’s senior
vice president for economic development. “The competition has helped us raise the international profile of
Huntsville not only as the home of the Saturn V and the space shuttle, but also
as the space science operations center for the International Space Station and
the ongoing rocket and propulsion capital for SLS and Blue Origin.”
Five years ago, Jankowski approached Madison County
Commissioner Steve Haraway on how to acquire study money to determine if such a
pursuit was feasible and if the airport could handle the unique spacecraft’s
landing.
Haraway; County Commission Chairman Dale Strong; Huntsville
Mayor Tommy Battle; then-Madison Mayor Troy Trulock; Cape; and the Port of
Huntsville leadership, all pulled together $200,000 in public funds to conduct
a six-month feasibility study.
“The Chamber’s role in economic development includes working
with local leaders and companies to position ourselves for optimal growth,”
said Cape. “We’ve identified Huntsville’s space science and payload expertise
as a key asset in the emerging space economy.
“Landing the Dream Chaser at Huntsville International
Airport would create new opportunities for local companies as well as new
capabilities for our research and development community.”
HSV Runway Testing
“In 2015, Huntsville International Airport did a landing
site study (to determine) the feasibility and compatibility of landing future
space vehicles (specifically the Sierra Nevada Dream Chaser),” said Kevin
Vandeberg, director of operations at Huntsville International Airport.
The main issue was whether the skid plate on the front of
Dream Chaser would seriously damage the asphalt runway. Dream Chaser lands on
its back two wheels but does not have a front landing tire. Instead, the nose
drops down on a skid plate to bring the vehicle to a halt.
Using heavy equipment travelling at a high rate of speed,
Morell Engineering tests showed a vehicle the size of Dream Chaser would be
going so fast, it would do only minimal damage to the runway, never digging
into the asphalt or rutting. Sierra Nevada shipped in a real skid plate for the
test and it passed with flying colors.
They also conducted preliminary environmental assessments to
measure the effects of the mild sonic boom the landing will trigger, and
whether it will impact nearby explosive materials.
“In January 2016, the Airport Authority received the report
on the findings of the study from Morell Engineering,” said Vandeberg. “It
confirmed that little structural damage is expected to occur during the landing
of Dream Chaser on the airport’s asphalt runway. Upon review of this
report, Huntsville International Airport determined that we would move forward
with the FAA license application process.”
The $1 Million Phase
II Engineering Analysis
There are two applications required by the FAA to be considered
a landing designation for Dream Chaser. Huntsville International must apply for
a license to operate a re-entry site. Sierra Nevada must submit an application
for a license for “Re-entry of a Re-entry Vehicle Other Than a Reusable Launch
Vehicle (RLV).”
“We are currently in the middle of a 2½-year
engineering analysis in which we have subcontractors based at Kennedy Space
Center doing most of the analyses,” said Jankowski. “Huntsville is taking a
backseat to Kennedy because NASA is paying the Kennedy Space Center to do most
of the required analyses. If you look at the launch schedule, Kennedy is one to
two months ahead of Huntsville. Sierra Nevada gave us a heads-up to be patient
and let Kennedy go first so a lot of the generic analysis needed is paid for,
keeping our $1 million investment intact.”
The airport is scheduled to submit the first application to
the FAA in December and the second application next January. However, the NASA
buzz is that it will likely slip four or five months, and the Chamber has
warned about recent proposed changes to space launch and landing permits at the
federal level that could impact plans.
Altogether, it puts them a year away from final submission.
Community Engagement
& Legislative Support
“We have engaged some amazing people like Congressman Mo
Brooks, Senators Richard Shelby and Doug Jones, and Gov. Kay Ivey,” said
Jankowski. “NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine; past-NASA Administrator Charlie
Bolden; William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Human Exploration and
Operations for NASA; and Kirk Shireman, manager of the ISS Program, are all
familiar with Huntsville’s FAA status.”
“The Chamber has been actively
marketing Huntsville as a landing site through local partner workshops,
presentations to local industry groups and the Alabama Space Authority,” said
Cape. “We also have the sponsorship of an international competition seeking
ideas for using the Dream Chaser to further space exploration and economic
development.
The United Nations
Factor
There is an even bigger business storyline in the making – Sierra
Nevada is in negotiations with the United Nations.
A couple of years ago, the company sent out a Call For
Interest among U.N. members, asking if they have any potential payloads or
science to fly on a two-week Dream Chaser mission.
Expecting 40 or 50 responses, Sierra Nevada received close
to 175. The United Nations is working with Sierra Nevada to potentially launch
missions that help Third World nations.
And Jankowski said everything is on schedule so far.
“From the day Huntsville International Airport submits the
application, the FAA reserves up to 180 days to approve the license,” he said.
“Once they get their license, there will be 1½-year lead-time before NASA says,
‘Huntsville has both of their FAA licenses in hand. They want a mission.’
“After that, the soonest we could get
on the manifest is, I think, about 20 months, so we are probably still looking
at being about 3½ years out.”
But, as everyone knows, in the
realm of the business of space, that day will be here before we know it.
https://huntsvillebusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/HBJDreamChaserLanding.jpg7011050Kimberly Ballardhttps://huntsvillebusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/HBJ-Logo.pngKimberly Ballard2019-05-06 06:07:012019-06-03 14:57:14Huntsville, Sierra Nevada Chasing the Dream of Space-based Business
Looking back on history with an eye to the future, elected officials joined the CEOs of Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance in a ground-breaking ceremony Friday for a $200 million rocket engine manufacturing facility in Huntsville.
“We’re here to celebrate history with a vision to the future,” said Alabama Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield at the event. Canfield was joined on the speakers’ platform by Bob Smith, CEO of Blue Origin; Tory Bruno, CEO of United Launch Alliance; Gov. Kay Ivey; U.S. Sen. Doug Jones; U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks; Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle and Madison County Commission Chairman Dale Strong.
The plant, when its doors open in 2020, is a milestone achievement in helping the United States return to space by building America’s next rocket engine.
“It’s a great day here in the Rocket City,” said Smith. “Thanks to the votes of confidence from United Launch Alliance, from the Air Force for national security missions, and from Huntsville and the state of Alabama, we are breaking ground on a facility to produce our world-class engines and power the next generation of spaceflight.”
Blue Origin was selected by ULA last September of last year to supply its next generation Blue Engine 4, or BE-4, for the first stage of ULA’s Vulcan Centaur Rocket
“It is a true marvel of engineering,” Smith said. “We will be able to end our dependence on Russian engines,” Smith said.
Calling it a “day of destiny,” Brooks said Blue Origin and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was inspired to build rockets when he saw the movie “October Sky” in 1999. The movie was based on the book “Rocket Boys” by Huntsville resident Homer Hickam. “Blue Origin is coming to the home of the man who inspired him.”
Smith also linked Huntsville’s history of building the giant engines that took Americans to the moon to building the BE-4 engines.
“We’re in final negotiations with the Marshall Space Flight Center to test the BE-4 on Test Stand 4670, the historic site of engine tests for the Saturn V and the space shuttle,” he said.
A pair of BE-4 engines will lift the new Vulcan rockets, which are made at ULA’s plant in Decatur.
“Our rockets are going to take Americans on American soil into space,” said Bruno. “And it’s about damn time!”
Blue Origin has a launch services agreement partnership with the Air Force to use its commercial, heavy-lift New Glenn launch vehicle for national security space missions. New Glenn will be powered by seven BE-4 engines.
“This gives us a chance to design, make and test a rocket engine,” said Battle. “We will produce the greatest rocket engine in the world right here in Huntsville.”
Blue Origin’s engine production facility is the latest addition to Cummings Research Park, which is the second largest research park in the United States and fourth largest in the world.
“We are thrilled to officially welcome Blue Origin to Cummings Research Park,” said Erin Koshut, the park’s executive director. “As we like to say, the research and development happening here is driven by science and powered by people.”
The plant, which is expected to employ 300 people, is on a 46-acre site at the corner of Explorer Boulevard and Pegasus Drive.
Citing this area’s importance in U.S. space history, Strong said it’s no coincidence Blue Origin chose Huntsville.
“We have got the right people in the right place at the right time,” he said. “Welcome to the ‘Propulsion Capital of the World.’”
https://huntsvillebusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/BlueOriginPhoto.jpg7881050Bud McLaughlinhttps://huntsvillebusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/HBJ-Logo.pngBud McLaughlin2019-01-25 11:59:402019-06-03 15:15:50History and Future Merge with Blue Origin Engine Plant in the Rocket City
Thousands of athletes are racing to the Rocket City this weekend for a chance to win gold.
Meanwhile, Huntsville stands to reap some gold of its own – or green – through the economic impact from the Alabama State Games XXXVI.
The city is hosting more than 5,000 athletes competing in 25 sports throughout the Huntsville-Madison County area in the state’s version of the Olympics.
“This is the largest State Games in the number of sports,” said Judy Ryals, president/CEO of the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Vistors Bureau. “It will bring a $1.5 million economic impact and is a showcase for Huntsville’s venues.”
The 36th annual event was also known as the Alabama Sports Festival when it was created and through its first few years.
“The Alabama State Games created a ‘sports festival,’ ” said Anthony Terling, vice president of external affairs for the ASF Foundation. “There are 25 sports and it’s not just a youth games. There is competition for adults, seniors and Miracle League.
“All types of individuals can compete.”
Some sports have on-site registration while team sports have already registered. For information, visit asffoundation.org/alabama-state-games and www.alagames.com.
Also, it’s not only about sports, Terling said. “We’ve given away $300,000 in scholarships.”
Huntsville is hosting for the first time since 2003-04 and will play host this year and next, with an option for a third year.
Ryals said it took teamwork by state, county and city officials to bring the games back to Huntsville, after Dothan hosted last year.
“Sen. Arthur Orr asked why we can’t have the Games,” Ryals said. “So, Mayor (Tommy) Battle and (Madison County) Chairman Dale Strong came to me and said ‘Let’s make it happen.’
“The whole team at the CVB, Huntsville Sports Commission, Parks and Recreation did make it happen. The city and county school systems offered their assistance, too.”
The State Games start Friday with Opening Ceremonies at the Von Braun Center. The ceremonies begin at 7 p.m. and are open to the public. They will also be televised statewide over Alabama Public Television.
“The Opening Ceremonies are going to be spectacular,” Ryals said. “The athletes will march in and we will be honoring first responders.
“It’s really nice to honor that group and give them recognition.”
https://huntsvillebusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/StateGamesimage.png460600Bud McLaughlinhttps://huntsvillebusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/HBJ-Logo.pngBud McLaughlin2018-06-07 08:58:122018-06-12 17:10:17Alabama State Games are gold for Huntsville