U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Space Camp need $1.5 million

U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Space Camp need $1.5 million

You're taking a live look at the space and rocket center.

Today - officials there said they need 1.5-million dollars to stay open!

They're asking the community to help - and donations are already pouring in.

You saw it live on waay 31 midday news - the u-s space and rocket center said it needs one and a half million dollars or the rocket center will close in the fall - and space camp won't re-open next spring.

The center said it already layed off or furloughed 90- percent of its employees because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Thanks for joining us - i'm dan shaffer.

And i'm najahe sherman.

Waay 31's sydney martin is outside the davidson center this afternoon.

She joins us live after learning more about the danger of the center closing.

Sydney?

Here inside the space and rocket center today- the center launched this go fund me campaign.

I just refreshed it and it say x amount of dollars have been raised in the last 5 hours.

As the center hopes donations keep pouring in.

Louis ramirez, us space & rocket center ceo "we have enough funds by bank loans to get us to october."

Tuesday morning us space and rocket center c-e-0 louis ramirez explained coronavirus forced the center to lose the majority of the revenue- making it hard to keep the doors open.

Louis ramirez, us space & rocket center ceo"right now our line of credit is 3 million dollars which we have burned through 2.5 million.

They've given us another life line of 1.25 on top of that we've spent 2.5 million of our own money to get to this point."

With nasa working to get man back on the moon, the chairman of the alabama space scientific exhibit commission, said closing the museum and space camp will impact the support for nasa.

John nerger, chairman of the alabama space science exhibit commission "will it effect nasa in some way?

Sadly, i think the answer is yes.

While we don't belong to nasa, we provide, we educate the public and we educate the citizens who are needed to support nasa."

In the meantime, the center told us it's hoping to receive some funding in the next cares act package from the government.

Louis ramirez, us space & rocket center ceo"we are still working hand in hand with the state and the local government the cities, to ask for help."

The rocket center said it hopes to qualify for funding in the next cares act package.

We've posted a link to the go fund me site on our website waay tv dot com..

Live in huntsville sm waay 31 news.

Now let's take a look at the numbers.

Like sydney said - the museum is approaching the end of its credit line.

The rocket center says it's lost two-thirds of its usual revenue so far.

In addition to cutting 90- percent of its staff - it was unable to employ its usual 700 part-time workers.

According to recent economic impact studies - it generates roughly 120- million dollars in annual revenue for the state!

So what happens if it doesn't raise the money?

Officials say they're still working closely with the state and local government to get help.

If they have to close - the museum would most likely be passed off to the state.

It would work with remaining staff on how to keep it open.

But right now - the state has limitations on how it spends federal coronavirus relief money.

Under current cares act rules - state money couldn't go toward the space and rocket center.

Today - the chair of the museum's education foundation said their mission has always been to empower children through space camp.

In total - more than 1-million kids have visited space camp since it was founded.

He said the program isn't just valuable to kids - but to the city as a whole!

We're not just fighting to save a museum and a kids camp - we're fighting to save huntsville's statue of liberty as well he said the staff hates that they're at the point of having to ask for donations - but said quote "failure is not an option."

The "save space camp campaign" started at zero dollars this morning.

Now it's up to more than 157- thousand dollars!

You can find a link to donate on our website - waay t-v dot com.

It's included in our article with