A WhiteKnightTwo, the latest launch vehicle from Virgin Atlantic.
JAA looking toward space
08/19/2009
by Mike Sharkey Staff Writer
The Jacksonville Aviation Authority recently released a detailed map that shows how it would like to see the area around Jacksonville International Airport developed over the next half-century.
By the end of the year, the Aviation Authority expects to get word from the Federal Aviation Administration that it’s time to look beyond the boundaries of gravity. The FAA is currently in the final stages of reviewing the JAA’s application for Cecil Field to become a Certified Space Port.
“We are not there, but we are close,” said Michael Stewart, director of external affairs for JAA.
Stewart said JAA got a request back from the FAA for a little more information, most of it legal in nature. Because a commercial space is still conceptual in nature, Stewart said he understands the FAA’s caution.
“This is not a process that happens a whole lot,” he said, adding JAA officials fully expect the FAA to award the certification once the current issues are addressed. “I think our odds are good. We are in the game. The wheels of government turn extremely slow, but we feel absolutely certain we will get the license this year. We thought it would be this month.”
So did Jacksonville Economic Development Commission Executive Director Ron Barton. In an e-mail dated July 31, Barton said the commercial space port effort is “alive and well.”
According to Barton, if JAA gets the certification, Cecil Field would the only certified commercial space port in the state.
“With that certification, they (JAA) have positioned Cecil Field as a legitimate location to house space flight tourism activity,” said Barton. “We are currently working with one of only a few companies that have the technology and capability to pursue this type of business.”
Barton said the project is a collaboration between JAA, the JEDC, the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Cornerstone initiative and the private sector.
If the FAA license is granted, Cecil Field could become home to the Southeast’s only space tourism launch site. Stewart said the State of New Mexico is also pursuing the venture, but Jacksonville may have one of space tourism’s pioneers — Sir Richard Branson — on its side. Stewart said Branson has been to Jacksonville twice in the past several years and likes what he sees at Cecil. Branson is Chairman of the Virgin Group, a British-based conglomerate with over 360 companies. He’s also the 261st richest person on the planet according to Forbes magazine, with a net worth of $2.5 billion.
Stewart said the reality is it may be upwards of 20 years before people can shell out between $200,000 and $300,000 for a trip to space. He said it’s being done in other parts of the world and most flights take passengers up to between 40,000 and 50,000 feet where they have parabolic views of Earth and get to experience weightlessness.
“The license only gets you in the ball game,” said Stewart. “Once you get your license, you can begin to pursue operators. We are looking at 20-plus years down the road, but anyone who starts the process now is 3-5 years behind us in talking to operators.”
