As the comment period for the Camden Spaceport Draft Environmental Impact Statement came to an end this month, a laundry list of high profile political names – including both of Georgia’s U.S. Senators and the entire congressional delegation – voiced their public support for the spaceport and the issuance of a launch site operator’s license for Camden County.
Spaceport Camden, located some 20 miles north of the Florida border in the southeastern corner of the state, if approved, will become the state’s first spaceport. Last year State Rep. Jason Spencer’s (R-Woodbine) HB-1 set the stage for space flight in the state by setting rules and regulations and limiting liability for private companies in the industry. Now, if given the green light by the Federal Aviation Administration, Georgia will officially join the $329 billion a year (and growing) industry.
Spurred by a need for more launch capacity, Georgia political leaders are looking to get out in front of yet another industry, one that figures to take off even more with support from as high as the White House and President Donald Trump’s plans for the establishment of a Space Force.
Said Steve Howard, Camden County Administrator and Spaceport Camden project lead, “We’ve always said this is the right project at the right time. The support from elected
officials, commercial space companies, and space policy advocates all reaches the same conclusion: The United States needs more launch capacity and Spaceport Camden is best suited to meet this demand. We appreciate the recognition that Spaceport Camden is an important part of our national space strategy.”
A letter from all 14 members of the state’s congressional delegation to the FAA stated that the project is “extremely important to the economic future of coastal Georgia and marks the beginning of an excellent opportunity to leverage the research and expertise present in the region.” The state’s senators concurred, calling it “vital to securing America’s future in space.” Former Speaker of the House and Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, who often mentioned space exploration in his 2012 campaign, also threw his hat in the ring, calling approval of the spaceport “good public policy” and vertical launch capacity, which Camden would provide, as vital to space innovation. See those letters, (and more) HERE.
The plan though, of course, is not without detractors. Some think that spaceports are money sinks that survive only off of taxpayer funding. Others worry about the environmental impact of rocket launches, while neighbors are concerned that some projected launch trajectories will be over residences.
The FAA will review all public comments received during the Draft EIS comment period before making their final decision in the next few months. Simultaneously, Camden County is formally submitting its bid for a launch site operator license to the FAA, which will trigger a 180-day “shot clock” for a final decision on the issuance of the license.
