Following the conclusion of World War II, the U.S. government began shuttering military installations across the country, including the Yuma Army Airfield. Wanting to show that Yuma’s sunny weather could still be an asset to the military, two veterans embarked on a mission in 1949 where they flew for 46 consecutive days. Their gambit became international news and kept the airfield open. Today, communities across Southern Arizona are building on a legacy of aerospace and defense by once again leaning into the state’s natural advantages.

Doulgas Nicholls, mayor of the City of Yuma, intends to do so by creating a spaceport within the municipality. When the Arizona Space Commission was reinvigorated earlier this year, Nicholls was appointed by Gov. Katie Hobbs to help define the strategy

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