A science lab turned a cow town into Space City, Utah. Now, a major piece of the industry is leaving.
In recent years, the lab has received $1 billion in funding from the Air Force Research Laboratory to create space-related technology such as space sensors, cybersecurity and satellite navigation. For NASA, the lab has been funded to create space technology for a variety of projects, including itsLogan’s reputation as a hub for aerospace has been bolstered by another byproduct of the lab.
Through the years, the lab became a key player in air and ground solutions for the U.S. Department of Defense, and a leading research center for upper atmospheric and space measurements. In 1996, the Defense Department named the lab aThe profile of Space Dynamics Laboratory’s projects and contracts, however, isn’t the only thing to build up the aerospace industry here. A major piece of that puzzle was much, much smaller.
But Redd, Moore and Megill saw its potential — particularly Redd, who recognized the need for satellite projects that students could get hands-on experience with while teaching space engineering courses. When it was announced during this year’s SmallSat that the event, which attracts more than 4,000 space industry professionals from around the world each summer, would be
In response, county leaders started working with SmallSat organizers to ensure area vendors can still be involved, even though the conference will no longer take place in Logan. A spokesperson for Visit Salt Lake said the nonprofit did offer an incentive to bring SmallSat to Utah’s most populous county but declined to offer specifics.