Lineville-Republican State Senator Gerald Dial sent a letter to U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby informing him the Alabama Space Authority — formed by the State Legislature in 2017 to promote the research and development of the aerospace and aviation industries in Alabama — is beginning work to identify the location for a space port in Alabama, in an effort to position the state as a leader in the burgeoning space flight industry.
A space port is a site for launching and receiving space craft; between 1996 and 2017, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) licensed ten space ports in seven states.
In the letter to Shelby, Dial, the chairman of the Space Authority, cites the existence of the Marshall Space Flight Center, Redstone Arsenal, and the Maxwell Air Force Base as reasons why Alabama can be a leader in the commercial and military space flight industry.
“Senator Shelby has been a tremendous ally and friend of Alabama’s aerospace industry, and this letter is meant to update him and his office on our efforts to first identify a prime location for the space port, and then to move forward with construction plans,” Dial said. “Senator Shelby was just named chairman of the U.S. Senate’s appropriations committee, and that position certainly increases his opportunities to represent Alabama’s interests, including our push to become a leader in the commercial and military space flight industry.”
The Space Authority held its inaugural meeting on March 16 at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, and heard from Glenn Rizner, chief of staff for the FAA’s Commercial Space Transportation Office, on the FAA’s application process for space launch site licenses.
Read Dial’s letter to Shelby below:
A Space Port? Really? Like we need another bridge, we need a Space Port. Is there really a demand for a Space Port in Alabama, anywhere in Alabama? I really don’t want to launch and receive spacecraft from Maxwell or Montgomery or Huntsville It is inhabited ya know. Must have a tight relationship with Musk. Follow the money. Its always about the money. Other peoples money.
Forgot to ask. How many contractors and Alabama employees are on the Alabama Space Authority and how much has this group cost the taxpayers already?
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