The Sky is The Limit!

In April of 2012, SpaceX declared its intent to open a rocket launch site in Texas. Now, in August 10, 2012 plans are being finalized to open this launch site near the city of Brownsville. When I first read about this in the Texas Tribute website the first thing that came to mind was of course the movie Armageddon. Which frankly has nothing to do with it, but with my limited knowledge on the private space industry and my love for science fiction films, can you really blame me? But after really getting informed on this subject and reading the pros and cons of opening a launch site in Texas. I have to say the pros have won me over!

Texas has been central to the field of space exploration, after all, NASA Johnson Space Center is located in Houston. Texas' location itself and business friendly policies make it appealing for private space companies, like SpaceX, to take root. Another private space company named XCOR Aerospace was evaluating wide-open places in Texas to test rocket engines, and have found an ideal site in Midland. It seems like everyone wants a piece of our great State. Alex Ignatiev, a University of Houston professor who has advised space companies, is in agreement with the expansion both of these companies to Texas; he stated that “the nation’s need for access to space is acute now that the space shuttle program has ended.” Also, private companies are appealing to Texas, after all NASA faces even more budget cuts. In Obama’s presidential budget request for 2013 his administration proposes big cuts to NASA’s Mars Programs. Don’t we need to know what is happening in outer space? Although the shuttles were launched from Florida, the program’s mission control was at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

I am all for these private space companies investing here in Texas. These companies could inject millions of dollars into the state economy. A new SpaceX launch pad in Brownsville could help the city’s economy immensely. Other than creating new jobs, these launch pads would attract even more investors of different businesses to Texas, and even tourism would increase as well. In an article by the  StateImpact website, a member of the Brownsville Economic Development Council, Gilberto Salinas, stated that “it would bring about 600 [direct] jobs paying extremely well.  It could drop our unemployment by one full percentage point.” Sounds like a pretty good deal. Even Governor Rick Perry has expressed interest in promoting the private space industry in Texas. In July, Perry met with several representatives from different companies.  

Environmentalists are opposed to the SpaceX space port in Brownsville. This is only logical. The place where SpaceX is planning to build this launch pad and control facilities is almost surrounded by the Boca Rica State Park and the Lower Rio Grande Natural Wildlife Reserve. They argue that the launching of rockets would scare the animals in the area and noxious chemicals would be all over the place. Are all these environmentalist forgetting that the Kennedy Space Center in Florida is located close to the Merritt Island Natural Wildlife Refuge. These two have coexisted for decades and no animals have been screaming in fright or poisoned with deadly chemicals. I think the private space industry should expand more in Texas. It would be beneficial for not only the investors themselves, but for the state of Texas. With companies like SpaceX and XCOR Aerospace already finalizing plans is a step in the right direction. The sky is the limit baby!