Midland International Airport Gets Spaceport License
Texas Gov. Rick Perry flanked by XCOR officials in front of a full-scale mockup of the Lynx space plane in Midland. (Credit: Gov. Rick Perry’s Office)
FAA Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation George Nield announced today the agency has awarded a spaceport license to Midland International Airport, paving the way for XCOR Aerospace to move its research and development operations there next year.
Nield made the announcement this morning at the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC) meeting in Washington, D.C. Midland Airport Director Marvin Esterly was present to receive the license.
XCOR signed an agreement to move to Midland from Mojave, Calif., in July 2012. That move was contingent upon the Midland airport receiving a spaceport license that will allow XCOR to fly its Lynx suborbital spacecraft.
XCOR plans to move to Midland next year after conducting initial flight tests in Mojave.
3 responses to “Midland International Airport Gets Spaceport License”
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The “silent” underdog. Ok, at least the “dog” that doesn’t keep saying they’re sending their whole family to space next month. I expect they should surprise us. Hope the move isn’t insanely setting them back. Probably the 10 mil will help.
They’re assembling the first Lynx now. Getting designed, fabricated and assembled is taking longer than they estimated. That’s the reason.
Also wasn’t cash WAY harder to find for these guys to get everything in motion? VG had it a little easier on funding. I still make the bold crazy call that this thing is flying to space BEFORE SS2. Higher, too.
PS: If you know your stuff you blame the cows, not the chickens. SpaceX can probably tell us a lot about the effect of cows on testing or vice versa!