Page 78 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2024

From
Sea
to
story by Lynn Lofton
The Mississippi Gulf Coast has
a rich history of transportation development and innovation that reaches from sea to space. These systems include ship building, rocket testing, ports, shipping, and air travel. The impact on the economy and jobs is tremendous with Ingalls Shipbuilding out front with 11,000 employees and 5,200 at NASA Stennis Space Center.
Ingalls Shipbuilding was founded in 1938 and has been involved in the construction of various commercial vessels throughout its history. “Within two years of Ingalls being officially incorporated, the company completed construction on its first ship, SS Exchequer, which had the first all-weld hull, revolutionizing shipbuilding and design,” says Media Relations Manager Kimberly Aguillard. “Ingalls also played a significant role during World War II having built the USS Samuel Chase and USS Henrico, which launched the famous Higgins boats and transported troops to Normandy on D-Day.”
Today, Ingalls Shipbuilding focuses on designing, building, and
maintaining amphibious ships, destroyers, and cutters for the U.S Navy and U.S Coast Guard. Ingalls is the largest supplier of Navy surface combatants and is the only shipyard simultaneously building four classes of ships. Ingalls pioneered the development and production
of technologically advanced, highly capable ships for the surface Navy fleet for decades.
“Ingalls Shipbuilding is the largest manufacturing employer in Mississippi,” Aguillard said. “The performance of our business is interconnected with the welfare of our people and community. We are fully committed to investing in Gulf Coast communities. Our people are the most important resource.”
The site known today as NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center has a colorful history dating as far back as 1699. Indians, settlers, pirates and soldiers shaped this part of Mississippi. In October 1961, NASA announced plans to open a rocket engine test facility in Hancock County. This center operates as the agency's primary and largest rocket propulsion test site.
In the 1960s and 1970s, there was a saying around the community, “If
you want to go to the Moon, you first have to go through Hancock County, Mississippi.” Now the rockets are going to the moon and beyond.
Few people actually go into space but many take to the air for business and pleasure. The Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport provides access to the world’s air transportation network and is critical for tourism, quality of life and economic development, says Executive
Director Clay Williams. “For South Mississippi to grow and thrive, it is imperative that the market has a safe, efficient and easy-to-use airport.”
The airport began as an Army Airfield in 1942 when it served as
a training ground for pilots during WWII. After the war, the U.S. conveyed the airfield and the land to the City of Gulfport for development of a civil airport. National Airlines and Southern Airways began the first passenger service in the 1950s. The airport has seen commercial air service grow over the years. Today
it is served by six airlines flying nonstop to eight cities. The newest airline is Breeze Airways flying nonstop to Las Vegas and Tampa on Fridays and Mondays.
Williams adds, “The airport
78 | August 2024 www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
Coastal Mississippi's