Yuma wants to be home to Arizona’s first spaceport.
The city of nearly 100,000 people was recently announced as one of more than 70 finalists for a grant from the National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines program. That could provide up to $160 million over a 10-year period to build the spaceport. The grant is funded by the Southwest Regional Aerospace Innovation Alliance.
The city’s intentions are to establish the spaceport and “enhance national security and reduce costs compared to coastal alternatives,” according to a news release. The city said the aerospace alliance wants to “advance environmentally friendly propulsion systems for space exploration,” and help the workforce develop and utilize the skills to meet demands in industries such as aerospace, defense and satellites. The effort seeks to create 2,500–3,000 new jobs annually and bring more money into the economy.
“What we’re talking about is a spaceport, which would launch small rockets which would carry communications satellites,” Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls said recently on ABC15.com. “We’re not launching people or launching Teslas. We’re launching small rockets.”
In early March, Nicholls was selected by Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs to serve on the Arizona Space Commission.
“I see extremely high potential for increased opportunities, quality of life and higher education,” Nicholls said in a city news release. “We need to look to the future to be involved in the industries of the future.”
The Arizona Space Commission had been dormant but was revived in February following 2024 passage of House Bill 2254. Hobbs said the legislation was intended to help the state be a leader in the space economy.
“Creating economic opportunity and advancing innovation are essential to realizing the Arizona Promise,” Hobbs said in a news release. “The newly launched Arizona Space Commission will solidify our state’s leadership in space exploration and help grow our workforce in critical industries of the future.”
Yuma is considered a good location for a spaceport based on factors including the desert climate and proximity to the Sea of Cortez or Gulf of California.
