Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation are supporting the U.S. Space & Rocket Center’s Save Space Camp campaign with a generous donation that helps the campaign move forward in raising money to not only sustain operations but also repair the financial damage caused by COVID-19-related shutdowns and reduced attendance.
The first phase of the campaign raised $1.5 million in one week, the minimum amount of money the Rocket Center needed to keep the museum open October through April and to ensure Space Camp can reopen in Spring 2021. Because of limited enrollment from international students and school groups, Space Camp will be shutting its weeklong programs September through next April.
While the campaign has pushed past its initial goal, future donations will be used to repay the money the Rocket Center has had to borrow to pay staff salaries and expenses during the COVID-19 crisis.
For over a decade, the Northrop Grumman Foundation has provided Space Camp scholarships to more than 800 students and nearly 400 teachers from around the globe to inspire a greater appreciation of space exploration and related careers.
“The U.S. Space and Rocket Center plays an important role in creating the next generation of innovators and we are proud to continue our support for Space Camp,” said Sandra Evers-Manly, president of the Northrop Grumman Foundation.
“Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation are longtime supporters of our organization and we are appreciative of their commitment, particularly in this challenging time,” said Louie Ramirez, USSRC CEO and Executive Director. “This generous donation helps to lay the path forward for that work.”
Ramirez noted, that over the long-standing partnership, the Foundation has also supported the Space Camp program for the blind and visually impaired, the Saturn V restoration project and many other center efforts.
Almost 8,500 individuals and corporations around the world have contributed to the Save Space Camp Campaign since it launched on July 28, 2020. For more information and to make a donation, visit savespacecamp.com.