By Troy Turner
WASHINGTON – Congressman Dale W. Strong, who represents portions of the Huntsville region in north Alabama, re-introduced the Spaceport Project Opportunities for Resilient Transportation (SPACEPORT) Act, which would provide dedicated federal support to U.S. spaceports.
The Act is intended to help ensure the nation can meet growing civil, commercial and national security demands for space transportation.
“The United States continues to set the pace in space exploration, and north Alabama stands at the heart of that momentum,” Strong said in a press statement released today. “During my time as chairman of the Madison County Commission, I worked closely with community leaders and industry partners to help secure Huntsville International Airport’s designation as the nation’s first licensed re-entry site for space vehicles.
“With unmatched capabilities across civil, commercial and national security space programs, north Alabama is uniquely positioned to drive the infrastructure that will define the next generation of space innovation.”
Rep. Dale Strong
Strong and all of Alabama’s congressional delegation recently celebrated a political and economic victory by lobbying and helping to persuade President Trump to choose Huntsville as the new and permanent home for U.S. Space Command headquarters. Its move from Colorado Springs could help create more than 3,000 direct/indirect jobs and add to the Rocket City’s fast-growing involvement in all things space and missile defense.
Trump also hinted that Huntsville would play a leading role if his Golden Dome missile defense concept to protect the American mainland is created, with space-based assets serving as key components to the strategy.
Most of the top American space, military and defense-industry commands and companies have and are growing their presence in Alabama, so the addition of SPACECOM HQ plays into an already noticeable trend.
What is a spaceport?
Spaceports are ground-based launch and re-entry sites for spacecraft. Huntsville International Airport was the first commercial airport approved by the FAA to serve as a re-entry site and accommodate space vehicle landings.
“We are very excited about the SPACEPORT Act,” said Butch Roberts, the airport’s CEO. “This legislation would secure funding for infrastructure investments that would enhance the ability of spaceports, including Huntsville International Airport, to accommodate future commercial space transportation needs.”
Huntsville International Airport broke all previous monthly passenger traffic records in July, marking its busiest month ever, it reported. The airport saw 168,281 passengers in July, surpassing July 2024 by 16.7% (144,250).
It was the third consecutive month that the airport broke all-time passenger traffic records: June 2025 saw 160,455, and May 2025 recorded 156,967 passengers.
The SPACEPORT Act underscores a bipartisan and bicameral commitment to ensuring the U.S. remains the leader in space transportation and exploration by modernizing and reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration’s Space Transportation Infrastructure Matching grant program, Strong’s office reported.
Reps. Vince Fong and George Whitesides, both of California, are cosponsors.
Companion legislation in the Senate was introduced by Sens. John Hickenlooper (D-CO), John Cornyn (R-TX), Ben Ray Lujàn (D-NM), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).
A link to the act supported by Strong can be found here.
Troy Turner is the founder, editor and senior consultant for AlaDefense.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. His bio can be found here.
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