Senate Joint Resolution 25-010

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 25-010

BY SENATOR(S) Bridges and Baisley, Amabile, Ball, Bright, Carson, Catlin, Cutter, Danielson, Daugherty, Exum, Frizell, Gonzales J., Hinrichsen, Jodeh, Kipp, Kirkmeyer, Kolker, Liston, Lundeen, Marchman, Michaelson Jenet, Mullica, Pelton B., Pelton R., Rich, Roberts, Rodriguez, Simpson, Snyder, Sullivan, Weissman, Winter F., Coleman;

also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Armagost and Joseph, Bacon, Bird, Boesenecker, Bradfield, Brown, Caldwell, Camacho, Clifford, Froelich, Garcia Sander, Gonzalez R., Hamrick, Hartsook, Jackson, Johnson, Keltie, Lieder, Lindstedt, Lukens, Marshall, McCormick, Paschal, Phillips, Rutinel, Rydin, Sirota, Smith, Stewart K., Titone, Woodrow, McCluskie.

CONCERNING THE DESIGNATION OF MARCH 17, 2025, AS "COLORADO AEROSPACE DAY".

WHEREAS, Our nation and the world have significantly benefitted from technological and scientific advancements resulting from space exploration and aerospace activities; and

WHEREAS, Colorado ranks first in the nation for aerospace employment concentration; and

WHEREAS, There are over 33,000 Coloradans who are directly employed in aerospace, with the aerospace cluster supporting over 240,000 jobs; and

WHEREAS, Colorado is home to the nation's top aerospace companies, including Boom Supersonic, BAE Systems, Blue Origin, Boeing, L3Harris, Lockheed Martin Space, Maxar Technologies, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Sierra Space, and United Launch Alliance, and close to 500 additional companies that support the aerospace sector by providing services and developing products, including spacecraft, launch vehicles, satellites, command and control software, sensors, and navigation operations; and

WHEREAS, Colorado is a strategic location for national space and cyber activity, with five key military commands: North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the United States Northern Command, the Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense, the United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command, and the permanent home of United States Space Command and three space-related United States Space Force bases: Buckley, Peterson, and Schriever; and

WHEREAS, The United States Air Force Academy, along with Colorado's colleges and universities, including the University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State University, Metropolitan State University of Denver, University of Denver, Colorado Mesa University, and Fort Lewis College, provides access to world-class aerospace-related degrees and offers aerospace companies one of the country's most educated workforces; and

WHEREAS, Various organizations are key to Colorado's prominence in aerospace, such as the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the world's largest aerospace technical society; the Colorado Space Coalition, a group of industry stakeholders working to grow and promote Colorado as a center of excellence for aerospace; the Colorado chapter of Citizens for Space Exploration, housed within the Colorado Business Roundtable, whose mission is to promote better understanding of aerospace and its importance in our economy and daily lives, as well as promoting the importance of human space exploration; and the Colorado Space Business Roundtable, an organization that works to convene stakeholders from industry, government, and academia to advance aerospace business and workforce opportunities throughout the state; and

WHEREAS, The Colorado Air and Space Port seeks to serve as America's hub for commercial space transportation, research, and development. This horizontal launch facility will have the potential to become the foundation for a global suborbital transportation network connecting Colorado globally; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Seventy-fifth General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein:

That we, the members of the Colorado General Assembly:

(1)  Strongly urge and request the government of the United States of America to take action to preserve and enhance American leadership in space, spur innovation, and ensure our continued national and economic security by increasing funding for space exploration and activities;

(2)  Recognize that Colorado's aerospace industry plays a pivotal role in NASA's Artemis program, with numerous companies contributing critical technologies and expertise to enable human exploration of the moon and beyond. Lockheed Martin Space, headquartered in Littleton, is a prime contractor for the Orion spacecraft, the crew vehicle designed to transport astronauts to lunar orbit. United Launch Alliance, based in Centennial, provides the second stage, which propels the Orion spacecraft to the moon after launch. BAE Systems, located in Boulder, contributes advanced spacecraft instruments and sensors for Artemis-related missions. Similarly, Raytheon Technologies' Colorado operations supply precision navigation and control systems, ensuring the accurate trajectory and landing of lunar missions.

(3)  Congratulate the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, in partnership with the aerospace industry and key space organizations, such as the Colorado Space Business Roundtable, in its newly established teacher externship program aimed at bridging the gap between K-12 education and industry needs. This initiative provides educators with hands-on experience that enables them to bring real-world applications back to their classrooms and enhance their understanding of the skills and knowledge required in today's workforce, particularly in STEM fields, and to inform curriculum development that aligns with current industry standards.

(4)  Hereby declare March 17, 2025, to be "Colorado Aerospace Day".

Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to President Donald Trump; Vice President JD Vance; Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson; House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries; Senate Majority Leader John Thune; Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer; Senator John Hickenlooper; Senator Michael Bennet; Congresswoman Diana DeGette; Congressman Joe Neguse; Congressman Jeff Hurd; Congresswoman Lauren Boebert; Congressman Jeff Crank; Congressman Jason Crow; Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen; Congressman Gabe Evans; Janet Petro, Acting NASA Administrator; Chris Rocheleau, Acting Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration; Governor Jared Polis; Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera; Major General Laura L. Clellan, The Adjutant General of Colorado; General Stephen N. Whiting, Commander, U.S. Space Command; Colonel Heidi Dexter, Commander of Space Base Delta 2, Buckley Space Force Base; Dr. Heather Pringle, Chief Executive Officer, Space Foundation; Dr. Ronald M. Sega, Co-chair, Colorado Space Coalition; Debra Wilcox, Chair, Colorado Space Business Roundtable; Stacey DeFore, Chair, Colorado Citizens for Space Exploration; Kristi Farley, Chair, AIAA Rocky Mountain Section; Jeff Kloska, Director,

Colorado Air and Space Port; and Debbie Brown, President, Colorado Business Roundtable.