MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1997 Regular Session

To: Rules

By: Senator(s) Gollott, Woodfield, Smith, Lee, Cuevas, Horhn, Burton, Farris

Senate Concurrent Resolution 618

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION DECLARING THE INTENT OF THE MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE TO SUPPORT THE MISSISSIPPI SPACE COMMERCE INITIATIVE. 

WHEREAS, the John C. Stennis Space Center (SSC) is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Center of Excellence for the Commercial Remote Sensing Program (CRSP) which has the primary goal of ensuring America's dominance in the international remote sensing industry; and

WHEREAS, on August 3, 1996, NASA Administrator, Mr. Dan Goldin, challenged Mississippi to: "Bring the remote sensing industry to the State of Mississippi. Make Mississippi the nation's leader in commercial remote sensing research, product development and services. NASA will commit $3.0 Million per year for five years if the state will match this investment to capture the industry."; and

WHEREAS, the State of Mississippi accepts the challenge to establish Mississippi as the focal point for advanced remote sensing research, to build upon NASA's Center of Excellence for Commercial Remote Sensing Development at SSC and to secure nationally-recognized remote sensing and spatial information expertise within the Mississippi Research Consortium to be used in product development by private remote sensing companies locating in Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, the Mississippi Space Commerce Initiative will capitalize on NASA's Center of Excellence, industry's pursuit of a Ten Billion Dollar Market, Mississippi's Twenty-first Century economic development strategy and a very favorable political climate; and

WHEREAS, the Mississippi Space Commerce Initiative embraces and includes the Space Commerce R&D Park and the Space Industry Cluster at the SSC:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MISSISSIPPI STATE SENATE, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we recognize, applaud and accept the NASA challenge to bring the remote sensing industry to Mississippi, which is truly based upon high-value jobs and providing a total infrastructure of education, technical resources, potential teaming partners and a critical mass of technology-based professionals to complement any new enterprises, and that we encourage the cluster of these critical technologies and human assets.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That, with assurance of legislative support, we call upon the Mississippi Department of Economic and Community Development and the Mississippi Research Consortium to expand the opportunities of the Mississippi Space Commerce initiative with NASA's Commercial Remote Sensing Program at SSC.