A new agreement between NASA and the State of Louisiana could lead to the creation of the Louisiana Space Campus in New Orleans.

Governor John Bel Edwards announced the agreement between the state and NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility Wednesday morning.

“This year, as we celebrate 60 years of NASA’s operation of the Michoud Assembly Facility, we proudly announce a new chapter in this site’s storied history,” Edwards said in a press release. “We are excited about partnering with NASA for the development of the Louisiana Space Campus, and we look forward to the future tenants who would locate here. From the days of the Apollo missions to the development of the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft, we have long looked to Michoud for a glimpse at our destiny in space. The Louisiana Space Campus will help us fulfill that destiny.”

The space campus would be built a dedicated 50-acre business park within NASA's existing 829-acre site in New Orleans. According to the governor's office, the campus would target commercial office development for existing Michoud tenants and for other public- and private-sector industries that support the Michoud facility and economic development in New Orleans East. The new offices would feature contemporary amenities.

“This agreement will further drive transformative development in New Orleans East, which is already becoming a major hub for STEM in our city," said New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. "With continued partnership from the state, a Louisiana Space Campus will not only provide jobs and economic opportunity, but will also inspire us all, particularly our young people, to dream big and boldly.”

According to the governor's office, the new New Orleans space campus would mirror the Water Campus in Baton Rouge. The governor's office says that 35-acre development has attracted more than $100 million in public and private investment during its first phase. Long-range plans for that campus project up to 4,000 scientists, engineers, researchers, and support personnel connected to it.

“NASA is excited to enter into this (memorandum of understanding) with the State of Louisiana to explore the concept of the Louisiana Space Campus,” Robert Champion, the director of NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, said. “For 60 years, NASA has enjoyed a great partnership with Louisiana that has propelled the success of our nation to launch humans into space. This MOU represents an opportunity to further strengthen that partnership as the work at MAF moves us a step closer to landing the first woman and next man on the moon.”

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