SSC impact facts released

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - Stennis Space Center (SSC), NASA's primary rocket engine test facility and key location for other federal and state agencies, has posted a new 2021 Economic Impact Fact Sheet that highlights the site’s impact on the Gulf Coast region and beyond. SSC has a direct global impact of $949,999,000, with 37.2 percent of that attributed to the Department of the Navy, 27.4 percent from NASA, 28.2 percent from "other" agencies, 3.3 percent from the Department of Commerce, and 3.9 percent from construction of facilities. Closer to home, SSC has a direct 50-mile radius impact o $754,294,000. As of Sept. 30, 2021 there were 5,000 employees, the majority of them, 2,018, employed by the Navy and contractors. Another 1,357 are NASA contractors, with NASA itself accounting for 455 civil servants. The employee count includes 1,500 scientific/engineering employees. There are 180 workers with doctorates, 716 with masters, and 1,749 with bachelors. The average salary with benefits is $105,000. Mississippi's Pearl River County provides 23.9 percent of the workforce, Hancock County 19.3 percent, Harrison County 18.4 percent and other Mississippi counties 5.3 percent. Louisiana's St. Tammany Parish supplies 23.9 percent of workers and other Louisiana parishes 5.3 percent. Other states provide 3.9 percent of workers. (Source: NASA/SSC, 01/31/22)