MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - NASA partnered with the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce to hold the Alabama NASA Space Launch System Supplier Conference on Wednesday.The space program has a significant economic impact right here in Alabama, and leaders are hoping to grow that impact even more.

NASA's latest mission, the Space Launch System, is to send humans into deep space with hopes of one day reaching Mars, but leaders say that's only possible with the help of others outside of NASA.

"We look for folks that want to be part of the future and rise to the next chapter of our history of exploration," said Jody Singer, program manager for the flight programs and partnerships office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.

Now, NASA leaders are giving the all call for businesses, of any sort, to help with the mission.

"It obviously has to be within what we work in our mission of going forward with exploration, but there are many different companies, many different activities, many different things that we need and specialties," Singer said. "As well as, day today activity that we need to be able to fly and survive in space. So the doors are really wide open."

"We want to make sure we communicate that not only are they looking for rocket scientists. Yes, they are looking for new ideas, but they're also looking for commodities such as ink pens, pencils, and paper. They have to run officers everyday. Theyhave to have grass cut. You'd be amazed at what you can sell to them," said Ron Simmons, Vice President of Business Development for the Chamber of Commerce.

One Montgomery company, Goodwyn, Mills, and Cawood, is already partnered with another firm on a contract to design the Space Launch System test stand. The company hopes it's a contract which could launch them into even more business.

"We want to keep expanding on it. It's important to the company, it's also important to our country," said Al Allenbeck, Vice President of Airport Planning and Engineering with Goodwyn, Mills, and Cawood.

NASA has more than a $3 billion economic impact in our state alone. Local leaders are hopeful that chunk of change will head to central Alabama, ultimately creating more jobs.

"We want these companies to do well, make a good profit, generate revenue, but grow jobs, that's what we are here for," claims Simmons.

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AL NASA Space Launch System Supplier Conference held in Montgomery