On Monday, a private company named Space X announced their intention to test components of their new engine technology at John C. Stennis Space Center.

Residents who live in this area may be unaware of the specifics of what this federal facility provides.

Stennis is the largest engine testing facility in this nation and has been testing space flight engines since the Apollo program landed humans on the moon.

Continued use of this facility, either by federal agencies or private companies, ensures that this country can not only continue to launch American astronauts into low Earth orbit, but place our men and women back on the path to deep space travel.

Space X is taking up where the nation’s space agency left off after the cancellation of the Space Shuttle program.

Why NASA would cancel their only method to ferry astronauts and large cargo to a multi-million dollar space facility before having a new method ready to take its place is a question for another day, but now is the time for private companies to take up the reins of space travel. As they do so, they can test their new technologies here in south Mississippi.

Not only will this work ensure the United States maintains a vested interest in space travel, be it close to home or far away, but it will also provide a positive local economic impact.

As Space X and other companies contract for testing work at Stennis, they will provide high paying jobs to residents of Pearl River County, Hancock County, St. Tammany Parish and many other surrounding areas.

Technology is the world’s future, and while this agreement with Space X is for the short term, we hope it will grow into something more long-term.