HOUSTON – Houston will play a huge role in commercial spaceflight, after the Federal Aviation Administration approved a spaceport license for Ellington Field.
Ellington Airport has been an astronaut training ground for decades.
Tuesday's announcement means Ellington also has a role in the next several decades of space travel.
The vision is for a modern airport hub ferrying cargo and people to and from space. A vision that allowed Houston Mayor Annise Parker a moment to be understandably, historically giddy.
"This is one more step. One more small step for man (laughter) I couldn't resist. But it is an important step forward for the city of Houston," the mayor said.
The step makes Ellington the 10th licensed space port in the country, approved as a launch site for future space plane fights.
"It is very exciting for us. This gives Houston a very different perspective," Arturo Machuca, general manager of Ellington Airport, said.
Exciting because it also makes Houston a hub – to create thousands of jobs and billions of dollars cash flow.
"The magnet that this license represents in attracting industry, aerospace industry to Houston is just tremendous," Machuca said.
With an additional trump card that all the other spaceports don't have – the Johnson Space Center, and its decades of space flight know-how practically right next door.
"Having Johnson Space Center in the region let alone right next door is a big deal because they have the expertise, they have the knowledge, they have the connections, they have the drive to make space happen," Dr. David Alexander, Rice Space Institute, said.
After working closely with the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation, HAS now can move forward in establishing the required infrastructure and support facilities needed to accommodate RLVs — which execute horizontal launches, rather than vertical, similar to commercial aircraft.
"Houston has been at the forefront of aviation history and innovation for decades," Houston Aviation Director Mario C. Diaz said. "Not only does this opportunity reinforce an already long-established connection with the aerospace industry, it offers Houston an opportunity to strengthen its reputation as a forward-looking city and leader in creating high-tech, next-generation type jobs."
In 2013, the Houston Airport System released illustrations of what the spaceport could look like at the airport once known as Ellington Field. Plans include a passenger terminal building and an aviation museum.
Airport system officials have said their plans for a spaceport include accommodating reusable launch vehicles, space vehicle assembly, launching of micro-satellites and space tourism.
Ellington, the 98-year-old airport that typically does not handle commercial air service, frequently supports U.S. military and NASA operations.
The Houston Chronicle reports the company Sierra Nevada is developing the Dream Chaser spacecraft to carry humans into space. It could also serve as a cargo carrier.
If the Houston spaceport moves forward, the Dream Chaser would have the ability to land not far from the Johnson Space Center and Houston's medical center, both of which contribute to research missions on the International Space Station.
