GRAND FORKS, N.D. – One hundred million dollars in federal funding has gone to the aerospace ecosystem in Grand Forks.
That included $4 million to bring Q Station to The Hive to link businesses and researchers with universities, the military and government agencies to strengthen work on unmanned aerial systems.
“The idea that you could go through a standard government procurement process and the military, all at their own risk, all at their own cost, on a long timeframe appropriating money year-by-year could develop something that would keep up with the technology and we could stay ahead of the Chinese, it just doesn’t work anymore,” North Dakota Senator John Hoeven said.
Hoeven said this will help support Grand Forks’ economic growth and improve the nation’s defense capabilities.
Grand Forks Air Force Base and Redstone Arsenal Army Base near Huntsville, Alabama will handle communications for all military and intelligence community operations worldwide.
In making the announcement, including bringing at least $50 million to the project, Hoeven said this will impact 1,000 Space Development Agency low orbit satellites that will be built.
“This is such a dynamic and evolving mission. It’s a little bit creating as we go because the technology is moving so fast,” Hoeven said.
