July 16--It has been almost a year since Midland International Airport staff started the process to obtain a spaceport license from the Federal Aviation Administration, and the license is still out of reach.
"We knew that it was going to be a long-term task to get this license application done," said Marv Esterly, the city's director of airports. "There's a lot of hoops you have to jump through with the Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) in Washington."
As Midland International Airport is the first airport of its size -- a "Part 139 airport" -- to apply for a spaceport license, Esterly said everyone in the application process is being "apprehensive." He said the process, if the license is given, will act as a precedent for future airports that also apply.
Even though the licensed has not been granted, the process is 98 percent complete, Esterly said. The remaining component the AST has yet to pass is the environmental assessment.
"It's just taken a little bit longer than we would want, but it's understandable," Esterly said.
The city of Midland and the Midland Development Corp. held a press conference on July 9, 2012, to announce plans to bring aerospace company XCOR to Midland.
MDC and XCOR made a $10 million deal that entailed giving the aerospace company hangar space and performance incentives in exchange for a $12 million payroll in the city and $4 million in capital investments within five years, as previously reported.
Pam Welch, MDC executive director, said XCOR is still coming to Midland and plans have not changed, despite the wait for the license. For now, XCOR is seeking housing for its employees who currently are in California, she said.
Airport staff began the spaceport application process in September 2012. At that time, Esterly expected the license would have been approved by now, he said. The license is now expected to be given by the end of the year. The process is taking so long because of the FAA's various departments giving input on the application.
"You have all these divisions that have to come together and mesh well," Esterly said. "It's never been done before so they want to make sure it's done correctly."
The first XCOR launch in Midland is now estimated for Spring 2014, Esterly said.
Copyright 2013 - Midland Reporter-Telegram, Texas
