Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange is wasting no time in appealing after a federal judge overturned Alabama's ban on same-sex marriage. The attorney general's office filed notice yesterday with the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals challenging U.S. District Judge Callie Granade's ruling. Granade ruled Friday that Alabama's bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional. She put her decision on hold for two weeks to allow state attorneys time to appeal. At least one same-sex couple was disappointed at the courthouse yesterday – the couple tried to obtain a marriage license in Anniston and was refused. The state probate judge's association isn't aware of any similar instances elsewhere.
Alabama’s future in space is a bit clearer today. APR’s Pat Duggins has more on launch plans for NASA’s new commercial space capsules and how Alabama fits in.
NASA says commercially built space capsule by Boeing and the Space-X company will undergo test flights in 2016. The goal is a manned test flight by 2017. Both capsules will carry astronauts and cargo to and from the International Space Station. Boeing’s spacecraft is called the CST-100 and it will be launched by an Atlas-V rocket built at a factory in Decatur. NASA administrator Charles Bolden is a former astronaut who says it could pave the way to Mars…
“There will be people who go for days at a time, people who will go for hours at a time on suborbital flights. The world of low Earth Orbit belongs to industry it doesn’t belong to the government. It doesn’t belong to NASA at all.”
These new capsules will have to pass NASA safety checks. It was on this date back in 1967 when the Apollo one launch pad fire killed three astronauts, including Mercury veteran Gus Grissom.
A non-profit organization in Huntsville is cutting the ribbon on a new facility designed to help Alabamians look to the skies. APR student reporter Sable Washington has more...
FlyQuest supports low-income students who are thinking about careers in aviation or aerospace education. After today ribbon cutting, the group will offer several programs at their new facility. Students of all ages have the chance to get free flight lessons, learn the fundamentals of aviation, and even take a spin in a flight simulator. There are also classes on aerodynamics, aircraft systems, weather forecasting, and how to work on a flight crew. FlyQuest also sponsors flight themed field trips for schools and local groups like the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. Today’s ribbon cutting in Huntsville will be at 4 PM today and is open to the public. For APR news, I'm Sable Washington...
Alabama's Unmanned Aerial Systems Task Force says it needs more time to prepare before sending suggestions to Governor Robert Bentley. The task force was supposed to propose legislation for unmanned drones earlier this month. Their recommendations they did submit included that Alabama's Transportation Department be designated as the lead agency on UAV regulation. Another suggestion is that the task force continue studying the issue. The head of the task force, Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries John McMillan, said delays in Federal Aviation Administration regulations and the general complexity of the issue made it difficult to propose a full legislative framework for Alabama by the January 15 deadline.