WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards of Maryland, the ranking Democrat on the House Science space subcommittee, is expected to introduce an amendment to the NASA authorization bill July 18 calling for a commission to consider closing NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.
The amendment would establish a Center Realignment and Closure Commission that would be given six months to evaluate “[c]onsolidating all rocket development and test activities of the Marshall Space Flight Center and Stennis Space Center in one location” and recommend a location promising the greatest cost savings.
The commission would also be asked to look at “[r]elocating all operations of the Marshall Space Flight Center to both the Stennis Space Center and Johnson Space Center.”
While the possibility of consolidating all NASA rocket development and testing activity in Mississippi might appeal to subcommittee’s chairman, Rep. Steve Palazzo (R-Miss.), the amendment is likely to encounter opposition from the committee’s lone Huntsville-area member, Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.).
