Legislators from New Mexico sent a letter to Patrick Shanahan, the acting defense secretary, regarding the state’s interest in hosting the new Space Development Agency, Space News reported Monday.
The lawmakers are attempting to persuade Shanahan to select New Mexico as the new agency’s location. The department could work with the existing volume of space researchers in the state, the report noted.
“As you stand up the SDA, we urge you and other senior leaders to look to the state of New Mexico as a host for co-locating the agency headquarters and to be your lead entities for implementing the space research and development policies you directed,” the letter stated.
Sens. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Tom Udall D-N.M., and Rep. Xochitl Torres Small D-N.M., are among those who signed the letter. Space research and technology organizations located in New Mexico include Spaceport America, SpaceBooster and Lunar Transportation Systems.
