For Release: March 22, 1999

Jerry Berg
Office of Media Services
(256) 544-0034
jerry.berg@msfc.nasa.gov
/centers/msfc/NEWSROOM/

RELEASE: 99-052

Marshall Center Boosts Alabama's Economy,
Injecting $722 Million into State in Fiscal Year 1998

More than $722 million was contributed to Alabama's economy in fiscal year 1998 by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.

Of that amount, $223 million was paid in salaries by the Marshall Center for civil service personnel, related costs and travel during the period from Oct. 1, 1997, to Sept. 30, 1998. The total also includes $499 million spent by Marshall on locally procured services, prime and subcontractor support, local construction and reimbursable activities performed for other federal agencies, private industry and foreign governments.

"Throughout 1999 and well into the future, the Marshall Center will remain a vital contributor to America's future in space and to the economy of Huntsville and the State of Alabama," said Marshall Center Director Arthur G. Stephenson.

Approximately $66 million in retirement annuities were paid to 2,511 Marshall retirees residing in Alabama. That includes $39 million paid to 1,487 retirees living in Huntsville.

The $722 million spent in Alabama by the Marshall Center was more than its expenditures in any other state. Approximately $220 million in additional NASA funding was spent in the Huntsville area for International Space Station hardware development by The Boeing Co.

The Marshall Center received $2.3 billion in fiscal 1998 -- approximately 17 percent of NASA's $13.6 billion budget. Marshall spent $1.26 billion for Human Space Flight activities, $687 million for Science, Aeronautics and Technology and the balance -- $380 million -- on mission support at the Center and other sites across the country.

Since it was established in 1960, the Marshall Center has had budget responsibility for a total of $62.6 billion. When year-by-year figures are adjusted for inflation, this total is equivalent to more than $161 billion in 1998 dollars.

The Marshall Center has paid $4.6 billion in federal salaries in the last 38 years.

At the end of September 1998, Marshall had a total of 2,759 civil service permanent and temporary employees, including employees at resident offices at prime contractors' facilities and at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, La.

Of Marshall's total civil service workforce last year, 2,224 were college graduates. Of those graduates, 1,609 had bachelor's degrees. There were 147 employees with doctorate degrees and 468 with master's degrees in engineering, science (with mathematics and physics being heavily represented) and other disciplines -- predominantly business administration.

During the last fiscal year, approximately 25,106 contractor personnel worked for Marshall, including 2,753 in mission support; 9,539 on prime contract work; and 12,814 as subcontractors and vendors.

Of the total, 6,404 worked in Alabama. An additional 1,606 contractors were associated with International Space Station work being done by Boeing in Huntsville, and other agency contracts.

In fiscal year 1998, more than 229 thousand people toured Marshall, including educators; civic and conference visitors; and news media. Of those visitors, 170 thousand saw Marshall as part of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center's bus tour program and 26 thousand visited the center during Marshall's Open House in May 1998.

Note to Editors/News Directors: Photos and video may be obtained to support this release. For assistance, please call Jerry Berg of the Marshall Media Relations Office at (256) 544-0034. For an electronic version of this release, visit Marshall's News Center on the Web at: /centers/msfc/NEWSROOM/