Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce

Today marks a historic anniversary for the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. It was on this date forty years ago that the European Spacelab module blasted off for the first time aboard the Space Shuttle. Marshall managed the twenty foot long science compartment which paved the way for the work done the International Space Station.

Alabama stands at the crossroads this Giving Tuesday. WalletHub’s ranking of the Most Charitable States lists the Yellowhammer State in at number 42 out of 50, dubbing Alabama one of the least-giving states in the country.

Consumers are scouring the internet for online deals as they begin to cap off the five-day post-Thanksgiving shopping bonanza with Cyber Monday. The website of the City of Orange Beach is spotlighting local businesses offering deals, including the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo which is featuring discounts at its gift shop.

A major college basketball tournament is coming to Alabama. The 2024 and 2025 Conference USA Men's & Women's Basketball Championships will be hosted at Propst Arena in Huntsville in both 2024 and 2025. Each conference champ will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The most recent results of the Alabama Business Confidence Index (ABCI) show local business leaders in Alabama are concerned for the future of the economy.

One exhibit at the Marshall Space Flight Center’s Davidson Center for Space Exploration is the Apollo 16 Command Module “Casper.” This aging spacecraft is more poignant this week as the nation mourns the loss of Ken Mattingly, the astronaut who helped Apollo 13 crew return safely home. He died at the age of 87. Mattingly flew in that vehicle on the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission in 1972.

Huntsville International Airport began its Gateway Star route linking Mexico to the Middle East. The Qatar Airways Boeing 777 arrived in Huntsville from Mexico City at the airport’s International Intermodal Center bound for Luxembourg with a final destination of Doha, Qatar.

Huntsville and Madison County will celebrate the area’s 11th annual restaurant week from August 11th through August 20th.

A Pink Floyd laser show is coming to Huntsville. The Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular will exhibit high-powered lasers that are synchronized to the music of Pink Floyd at the Mars Music Hall in Huntsville on July 14th.

Fans of Comic books and science fiction will be meeting up in North Alabama this weekend. HuntsvilleCon Pop Culture will take place Saturday at the Embassy Suites Hotel in downtown Huntsville.