Alabama’s congressional delegation is honoring Marshall Space Flight Center with a pair of resolutions commemorating the center’s 65th anniversary.

Rep. Dale Strong, whose 5th Congressional District includes Huntsville and Redstone Arsenal, where Marshall is housed, introduced the House resolution. Sen. Tommy Tuberville led the Senate version, with Sen. Katie Britt as co-sponsor.

The state’s delegation also reaffirmed support for the center’s missions, programs and workforce.

“Marshall Space Flight Center is a pillar of North Alabama, and the road to space runs straight through the Rocket City,” Strong said in a news release. “From the Apollo missions to the Shuttle program, and now to the Space Launch System and everything in between, the United States’ leadership in space cannot happen without Marshall Space Flight Center.”

Tuberville said the “talented scientists, technicians, and support staff” have helped MSFC lead the nation’s space exploration efforts.

“I’m tremendously proud to represent a state that’s home to this world-renowned facility, and I look forward to seeing MSFC continue to lead the way in space exploration as we look to Artemis II and beyond,” he said, referring to the NASA mission planned for April that will send a crew around the moon and back.

Calling the space program “vitally important,” Britt said Marshall will continue to play an integral role in achieving the nation’s goals in space.

“As the incredible men and women at MSFC continue to make historic leaps that fuel a new age of American excellence in space exploration, I will continue to ensure that this groundbreaking work is supported now and long into the future,” she said.

MSFC Director Joseph Pelfrey stated the center was grateful for the “steadfast support” of Alabama’s congressional delegation.

“Together, we are making history, driving American excellence, and reaching for the stars — and we’re just getting started,” he said.

The plaudits for one of NASA’s largest field centers, which employs nearly 7,000 federal workers and contractors, comes as President Donald Trump is proposing a 31% reduction in the space agency’s workforce nationwide, along with historically large cuts to its science programs. Details of any potential impact of the proposed cuts on Marshall remain unclear.

Marshall Space Flight Center manages the SLS, the lunar landing aspects of the Artemis program, as well as developing software and building adapters for various stages of the spacecraft.

The Trump administration has previously dismissed the Space Launch System — the super-heavy, expendable vehicle scheduled to carry crews to lunar orbit throughout the life of the Artemis program as, “grossly expensive and delayed.”

A 2024 study found a greater economic impact for NASA’s Artemis-related work in Alabama than in any other state, with $5.1 billion in effects statewide, largely attributable to the reach of Marshall Space Flight Center.