(TNS) — Camden County, Ga., Administrator
Steve Howard
believes spaceport skeptics will be proven wrong.
Howard, confident the county will be awarded a spaceport license in the coming weeks, said the county has successfully shown the
Federal Aviation Administration that a small launch vehicle can be safely launched from the site.
"All flight safety analysis completed to date demonstrate that proposed operations from Spaceport Camden are safer than
FAA required safety limits," he said.
There is a demand for more launch sites nationwide, and the proposed site in
Camden County has attracted attention.
"We are continuously in talks with operators interested in launching from Spaceport Camden," he said. "The timing of these announcements is entirely dependent on receiving clearance from the
FAA. We are currently a site location finalist with a space industry company for their headquarters," he said. "Manufacturing and launches would also occur from Spaceport Camden."
Howard said the spaceport's southern location gives rockets that eastward velocity boost similar to
Kennedy Space Center. Other advantages include deep-water access, a skilled workforce and a business-friendly climate.
"The Spaceport is the catalyst, but we are committed to building
Camden into an extremely desirable location for next generation, innovative technology hub, including climate-friendly manufacturing, distribution, supply chain, next generation communication, cloud computing, and, of course, commercial space, and national defense," Howard said.
As for those who have expressed concerns about the potential for a rocket malfunction over Cumberland or
Little Cumberland
islands, Howard said the
Kennedy Space Center has coexisted with the environment for decades.
"
Kennedy Space Center sits in the middle of the
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge adjacent to the Canaveral National Seashore," he said. "The refuge supports one of the highest numbers of threatened and endangered species anywhere in the nation.
Wallops Island, Virginia's mid-
Atlantic regional spaceport, has two national wildlife refuges, a national seashore, and
Wallops Island is acclaimed as the longest expanse of coastal wilderness remaining on the eastern seaboard of the
U.S. We aim for that same kind of harmonious coexistence with Spaceport Camden."
Opponents of the spaceport claim county officials have ignored their concerns about potential property damage and injuries or death if a rocket explodes over their homes. They have threatened to file lawsuits if the
FAA grants the county a license to operate a commercial spaceport.
"Any decision to challenge this review in court will come at the expense to taxpayers and will result in additional costly delays to taxpayers. I'm optimistic that common sense will prevail," Howard said.
He described the project as a win-win that could transform an underused industrial site into an economic asset.
"Where nature and space will not only coexist it will thrive," he said. "We believe that the
FAA will have thoroughly reviewed our application and rigorously complied with the National Environmental Protection Act, a process that has taken more than six years."
(c)2021 The Brunswick News (Brunswick, Ga.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
