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.
That summer, county officials were working on the Camden Spaceport Draft Environmental Impact Statement, which is necessary to gain approval from the Federal Aviation Authority and secure a launch site operator’s license for the county.
A laundry list of Georgia politicians including all 14 members of the state’s congressional delegation and both senators voiced their support for the project, as did former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
On Tuesday Camden authorities took another step forward in the long and winding road toward spaceport management, formally submitting their application for a Launch Site Operator License (LSOL) to the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation.
The application means that the county feels it has met the stringent regulatory requirements that come with such a project, and pending approval, (which is expected) Georgia will have the official green light to join the $329 billion a year (and growing) industry.
Gov. Brian Kemp, a longtime supporter of Georgia’s entry into the space flight scene, saw the news as a major win for rural development, a keystone of his successful gubernatorial campaign.
Kemp on the application’s submission – “As Governor, I am focused on expanding economic opportunity to every corner of our State – especially rural Georgia. Spaceport Camden is a visionary project that will bring high-paying aerospace jobs to Southeast Georgia while supporting a new wave of STEM education and career opportunities to the region. Spaceport Camden will also support our first-class universities and technical colleges ensuring that students who are educated in Georgia stay in Georgia to pursue their careers and raise their families.”
