A mock of the Camden spaceport
Camden County is developing plans for the first commercial spaceport in the state of Georgia. The site originally operated as an aerospace rocket testing facility and was considered as a potential launch site for the Apollo Space Missions.
“Spaceport Camden is a proposed vertical and landing base and Georgia’s access point to the $320+ Billion global space activity,” Camden County Commissioner Steve Howard told InsiderAdvantage. “This project is a once in a generation opportunity for Georgia to join the new space race, bring economic growth to the State, as well as drive industry, innovation and imagination. Spaceport Camden will inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and explorers while creating aerospace and supply chain jobs, as well as bringing tourism dollars to the state.”
Commissioner Howard was at the White House during the first national space race and is the project leader behind Spaceport Camden.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is responsible for granting launch-site licenses. If the safety calculation doesn’t meet the FAA’s regulations, no license will be issued. Commissioner Howard is hopeful for opportunities in 2018 and believes that the many investments currently taking place in the commercial space industry are a strong indicator that this is the right time.
The commercial space industry has many potential opportunities such as; high-tech start-up business incubator and accelerator programs, community STEM education and science or engineering research laboratories. Commissioner Howard believes Spaceport Camden Innovation and Research Park will lead to expanded job growth and investment benefits.
Many spaceports are located within or adjacent to wildlife refuges or national seashores. Kennedy as an example has both and is a thriving wildlife habitat that includes hundreds of different species, more than 20 of which are endangered or threatened. Virginia’s Mid-ATLANTIC Regional Spaceport is also located within an environmentally pristine region. Over 50 years of history balancing nature and space activities. Commissioner Howard expects to take the same approach with Spaceport Camden as a faculty where nature, space and history can coexist.
Georgia is currently a leader for the aerospace industry within the United States, as consistently ranks within the five of major categories. Georgia has more than 500 companies that provide complete lifecycle support for aerospace systems. The State also hosts business units from several large aerospace corporations with ties to the space industry, including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Pratt & Whitney, and Honeywell (EMS technologies). In total, Georgia companies export more than $8.5 billion in aerospace products globally, ranking the state fourth among U.S. states.
