Brooks Welcomes MSFC Director Todd May to Washington
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) welcomed Marshall Space Flight Center Director Todd May to Washington for a Space Transportation Association (STA) event this week. STA was founded in 1989 by LTG Dan Graham (US Army, ret.), MG Milnor Roberts (US Army, ret.), and BG Bob Richardson (US Air Force, ret.) with the objective of educating and updating policy makers, industry representatives, and federal government employees on the latest issues in the space community.
Congressman Brooks said, “The Tennessee Valley is grateful for the leadership of Director Todd May and the many individuals at Marshall Space Flight Center whose hard work contributes to America’s space leadership. Director May manages an annual budget of roughly $2.5 billion, which provides a stellar return on investment of taxpayer dollars, as it results in an overall economic impact of around $7 billion and nearly 38,000 jobs across the country!”
Brooks continued, “Thank you Director May, for your service to our nation, Marshall makes Alabama, and indeed the country, very proud. In the words of Dr. von Braun, ‘The greatest gain from space travel consists in the extension of our knowledge. In a hundred years, this newly won knowledge will pay huge and unexpected dividends.’”
Text of Congressman Brooks’ remarks:
Before I introduce Todd, I’m not sure if all of you are aware, but I’ve heard that many of you are aware, the Marshall Space Flight Center family had a tragic accident yesterday. One of the employees, whose attention for whatever reason was probably diverted maybe thinking about other work or what have you, inadvertently left their 7 month old child in the car.
And unfortunately the child did not survive the heat of being kept in the car while he was working. So if we could let’s have a moment of silence for the Marshall Space Flight Center family generally and this family in particular as they struggle with their loss. Thank you.
I am pleased to join you all today and welcome Marshall Space Flight Center Director, Todd May, to Washington. Huntsville Alabama’s Marshall Space Flight Center, as many of you know, is one of NASA’s largest field installations with nearly 6,000 civil service and contract employees.
Director May, a native Alabamian - kudos, Roll Tide - started his career with NASA at Marshall’s Material and Process Lab in 1991, a year after he earned his bachelor’s degree in materials engineering from Auburn University. War Eagle! I’m entitled to do both. I have a University of Alabama degree in addition to my Duke University degree, and I have two sons who have Auburn University engineering degrees, so unlike many politicians who just say that to say that, I have background at the University of Alabama with my wife also graduating from there and as is so often the case our money went to Auburn.
He manages an annual budget of roughly 2.5 billion dollars, which provides a stellar return on investment of taxpayer dollars, as it results in an overall economic impact of around 7 billion dollars and nearly 38,000 jobs across the country! Marshall is home to the Space Launch System, or SLS, the most powerful rocket ever, able to carry astronauts in the Orion spacecraft on deep space missions, including to an asteroid and ultimately we hope on a journey to Mars.
SLS is also a nation-wide effort. With more than 1,100 companies in 43 states supporting SLS and America’s aerospace infrastructure, Marshall is leading the development of what is truly America’s rocket! The SLS program celebrates success after success. Just last month, NASA conducted a successful 420-second-long test of the SLS-reconfigured RS-25 engine down at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.
In June, we celebrated the successful final tests of the SLS’s solid rocket booster in Utah. And currently, large amounts of SLS and Orion hardware are coming off the line at Marshall’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. It’s easy to brag about Marshall and SLS, and Todd’s leadership is a continuation of the visions of his predecessors, including those of Marshall’s first director, Dr. Wernher von Braun.
Director May’s many awards include NASA’s Exceptional Achievement Medal, the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive, NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medal, and the John W. Hager Award for professionalism in materials engineering. He has also been named a Distinguished Engineer by Auburn University.
Todd and his wife, Kelly, have four children and reside in Huntsville. As an aside, we also have four kids. May you be blessed with the eight grandchildren we have. All of them live in Madison County, in Huntsville and the City of Madison.
Before turning it over to Director May, I’d like to close with some words from the visionary in whose footsteps he follows. In the words of Dr. von Braun, “The greatest gain from space travel consists in the extension of our knowledge. In a hundred years, this newly won knowledge will pay huge and unexpected dividends.”
And those of us who are personally familiar with NASA and what it has done, and the spinoffs, we have a good understanding of what those benefits are. I pray that we’ll do somewhat a better job of helping the American people understand the technological advancements that are due to the space program.
Director May, thank you, and the many individuals whose hard work contributes to America’s space leadership. If every bright idea were a star, Todd May’s Marshall Space Flight Center would be a galaxy. You and your team make Alabama, and indeed the country, very proud. Ladies and gentlemen, Marshall Space Flight Center Director, Todd May.
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