NASA Stennis Deputy Director Christine Powell, left, and NASA Stennis Director John Bailey, right, meet with U.S. Rep. Mike Ezell of Mississippi during a visit to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 18. The leaders from NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, spoke with congressional representatives and staffers about NASA legislation, current and future work at NASA Stennis, and the growing number of commercial aerospace companies at the NASA Stennis Federal City.

A model of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket is part of the holiday display in the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion in Jackson, the official residence of state Gov. Tate Reeves. The model symbolizes the longtime relationship and shared history between the state of Mississippi and NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, the nation’s largest rocket propulsion test site. Built in the 1960s, NASA Stennis tested Apollo rocket stages that carried humans to the Moon and every main engine that helped launch 135 space shuttle missions. It now is testing engines and systems for NASA’s Artemis missions and operates as a powerful aerospace and technology hub for the region and state. “We are grateful for our ongoing relationship with the state of Mississippi,” NASA Stennis Director John Bailey said. “We appreciate every opportunity to highlight the role NASA Stennis and the state play in helping to power the nation’s human space exploration program. We look forward to 2025 and continuing our work to test engines and systems that will help launch Artemis missions back to the Moon and beyond.”

NASA Stennis Acting Center Director John Bailey, front left, speaks to people gathered to view the total solar eclipse in Russellville, Arkansas, on April 8.

NASA Stennis Director John Bailey, near left, and NASA Stennis Deputy Director Christine Powell, near right, meet with Semaj Redd, operations and legislative assistant for U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly of Mississippi, and Reed Craddock, deputy chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly of Mississippi. The leaders from NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, spoke with congressional representatives and staffers about NASA legislation, current and future work at NASA Stennis, and the growing number of commercial aerospace companies at the NASA Stennis Federal City.

NASA Stennis Deputy Director Christine Powell, center, and NASA Stennis Director John Bailey, right, meet with Dr. Timla Washington, chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, during a visit to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 18. The leaders from NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, spoke with congressional representatives and staffers about NASA legislation, current and future work at NASA Stennis, and the growing number of commercial aerospace companies at the NASA Stennis Federal City.

NASA Stennis Deputy Director Christine Powell, left, and NASA Stennis Director John Bailey stand near the United States Capitol during a visit to Washington, D.C. on Sept. 18. It marked the first visit to Capitol Hill for the leaders from NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, since being named to their current roles. Following conversations with Mississippi and Louisiana congressional representatives and staffers, Bailey and Powell attended the Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal ceremony. The awards recognized the women who contributed to the U.S. space race, including the NASA mathematicians who helped land the first astronauts on the Moon under the agency’s Apollo Program. NASA Stennis, established in the 1960s, tested first and second stages of the Saturn V rocket for Apollo missions to the Moon. The south Mississippi NASA center continues supporting the NASA mission by testing engines and stages to help power the agency’s Artemis campaign to return astronauts to the Moon and beyond.

NASA Stennis budget analyst Rebecca Mataya, right, and NASA Stennis engineer Paul Fuller assist young space fans with the NASA virtual reality experience at the Mississippi Comic Convention in Jackson, Mississippi, on June 22 at the Mississippi Trade Mart and Coliseum.

NASA Stennis Director John Bailey, left, and NASA Stennis Deputy Director Christine Powell, right, meet with U.S. Rep. Michael Guest of Mississippi during a visit to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 18. The leaders from NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, spoke with congressional representatives and staffers about NASA legislation, current and future work at NASA Stennis, and the growing number of commercial aerospace companies at the NASA Stennis Federal City.

NASA Stennis Director John Bailey, right, meets with U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana during a visit to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 18. The leaders from NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, spoke with congressional representatives and staffers about NASA legislation, current and future work at NASA Stennis, and the growing number of commercial aerospace companies at the NASA Stennis Federal City.

A Mississippi Comic Convention worker, an advocate for children with disabilities, speaks with NASA Stennis budget analyst Rebecca Mataya, right, during the event in Jackson, Mississippi, on June 22, about community outreach events and INFINITY Science Center’s ability to host children with special needs interested in learning more about NASA.

NASA Stennis breaks ground with officials from Hancock County on July 18 for the Stennis Wastewater Conveyance Project at the Northern Wastewater Treatment Plant in Kiln, Mississippi. The groundbreaking represented launch of an agreement described as a win-win situation for Hancock County and NASA Stennis. Upon completion of the project, the county will assume responsibility for servicing wastewater from the NASA center. The new agreement will enable the county to utilize its existing facility more efficiently, while also allowing NASA Stennis to devote more center resources its mission work. Groundbreaking participants include (left to right): Hancock County supervisor Chuck Clark, District 3; Hancock County supervisor Bo Ladner, District 5; Hancock County Water & Sewer District Chair Farron Hoda; state Rep. Brent Anderson, Mississippi District 122; Mayor Mike Favre, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi; NASA Stennis Associate Director Rodney McKellip; Hancock County Board President Scotty Adam (District 4 supervisor); state Sen. Philman Ladner, Mississippi District 46; NASA Stennis project manager Brittany Bouche; Mayor Jay Trapani, Waveland, Mississippi; and Hancock County Utility Authority Executive Director David Pitalo.

NASA reached out to inspire members of the Artemis Generation on Jan. 10-12, joining one of the largest comic con producers in the world to host an outreach booth at the 2025 FAN EXPO in New Orleans. Thousands of fans celebrating the best in pop culture such as movies, comics, and video gaming learned about NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and its role to power space dreams.

NASA reached out to inspire members of the Artemis Generation on Jan. 10-12, joining one of the largest comic con producers in the world to host an outreach booth at the 2025 FAN EXPO in New Orleans. Thousands of fans celebrating the best in pop culture such as movies, comics, and video gaming learned about NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and its role to power space dreams.

NASA reached out to inspire members of the Artemis Generation on Jan. 10-12, joining one of the largest comic con producers in the world to host an outreach booth at the 2025 FAN EXPO in New Orleans. Thousands of fans celebrating the best in pop culture such as movies, comics, and video gaming learned about NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and its role to power space dreams.

NASA reached out to inspire members of the Artemis Generation on Jan. 10-12, joining one of the largest comic con producers in the world to host an outreach booth at the 2025 FAN EXPO in New Orleans. Thousands of fans celebrating the best in pop culture such as movies, comics, and video gaming learned about NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and its role to power space dreams.

NASA reached out to inspire members of the Artemis Generation on Jan. 10-12, joining one of the largest comic con producers in the world to host an outreach booth at the 2025 FAN EXPO in New Orleans. Thousands of fans celebrating the best in pop culture such as movies, comics, and video gaming learned about NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and its role to power space dreams.

NASA reached out to inspire members of the Artemis Generation on Jan. 10-12, joining one of the largest comic con producers in the world to host an outreach booth at the 2025 FAN EXPO in New Orleans. Thousands of fans celebrating the best in pop culture such as movies, comics, and video gaming learned about NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and its role to power space dreams.

NASA reached out to inspire members of the Artemis Generation on Jan. 10-12, joining one of the largest comic con producers in the world to host an outreach booth at the 2025 FAN EXPO in New Orleans. Thousands of fans celebrating the best in pop culture such as movies, comics, and video gaming learned about NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and its role to power space dreams.

NASA reached out to inspire members of the Artemis Generation on Jan. 10-12, joining one of the largest comic con producers in the world to host an outreach booth at the 2025 FAN EXPO in New Orleans. Thousands of fans celebrating the best in pop culture such as movies, comics, and video gaming learned about NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and its role to power space dreams.