Left to right: Chief of Staff Martin Kent; Christyl Johnson, Deputy Director for Science and Technology, Goddard Space Flight Center; Bill Wrobel, Director, Wallops Flight Facility; Governor Bob McDonnell; David Thompson, CEO, Orbital Sciences Corporation; and Les Kovacs, Wallops Site Manager, Orbital Sciences Corporation. (Credit: Virginia Governor's Office)

Outlining his budget proposal to state legislators, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has proposed spending an additional $4 million on the state-run spaceport on Wallops Island and restructuring the body that oversees it.

“We should also be at the forefront of another growing part of the private sector: the space industry. We will introduce legislation to restructure the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority and turn it into a true independent agency to develop the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport into the number one commercial space flight facility in the nation, and we have added $4 million in targeted new spaceport investments in the budget,” McDonnell said in prepared remarks.

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Launch facilities on Wallops Island, Virginia

Virginia should invest in making the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on Wallops Island into a multi-use launch facility capable of handling missions for more than just Orbital Sciences Corporation’s (OSC) new Taurus II rocket, according to a new consulting report.

The review by KPMG includes a recommendations on further developing the commercial launch base and restructuring the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority (VCSFA), the state-funded organization which oversees MARS. One controversial recommendation is to strip OSC of its guaranteed seat on VCSFA’s Board of Directors, which KPMG calls a disincentive for other companies that want to use the spaceport.

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Pad OA at Wallops Island. (Credit: Orbital Sciences Corporation)

A new analysis shows that Virginia’s diverse space industry is highly competitive with those in other states, and it makes a half dozen recommendations on how the Commonwealth can improve its standing with additional government and private spending.

“The Commonwealth’s industry diversity is a major advantage in the future growth of the industry. These space assets currently align in a way that with a number of strategic financial investments, Virginia’s already robust space presence can be tailored to foster development over the coming decades,” reads the 32-page report written by the Performance Management Group @ Virginia Commonwealth University.

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Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell has signed a law that earmarks any state income tax generated by human space flight or human space flight training to be directed to the Virgin Commercial Space Flight Authority. The measure was supported by Virginia-based Space Adventures because it would direct taxes that it pays to the state toward improving facilities on Wallops Island that it might use for its activities. Space Adventures has said […]

Jack Kennedy tells me that a measure to earmark funding for the Virginiia Commercial Space Flight Authority has passed the House of Delegates by a vote of 89-8 after being approved unanimously by the Senate. The measure now heads to Gov. Robert McDonnell for his signature. The bill earmarks any state income tax generated by human space flight or human space flight training to be directed to the space authority. […]

Pad OA at Wallops Island. (Credit: Orbital Sciences Corporation)

Jack Kennedy reports that a bill that direct tax revenues from Virginia companies engaged in commercial human spaceflights or commercial spaceflight training to the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority has been reported out of the Senate Finance Committee.

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Pad OA at Wallops Island. (Credit: Orbital Sciences Corporation)

Jack Kennedy informs me that there’s a move afoot in the Virginia Legislature to direct tax dollars generated by commercial human space entities in the state to support the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority and development of the Wallops Island spaceport. The provision in Senate Bill 1447 reads:

Income tax paid by commercial space flight entities.

Beginning July 1, 2011, and for each fiscal year thereafter, the net revenue generated by the corporate income taxes paid by corporations that engage in commercial human spaceflights or commercial spaceflight training shall be transferred to the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority, established pursuant to Article 2 (2.2-2201 et seq.) of Chapter 22 of Title 2.2. The Tax Commissioner shall make a written certification to the Comptroller within 15 days of the close of each calendar quarter providing an estimate of the net revenue generated by the corporate income taxes paid by the corporations that engage in commercial human spaceflights or commercial spaceflight training in the calendar quarter. Not later than 30 days after the close of each quarter, the Comptroller shall transfer to the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority an amount from the general fund that is equal to the estimate provided by the Tax Commissioner.

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Launch complexes on Wallops Island, Virginia

VCSFA PRESS RELEASE

The Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority and Holly Grove Vineyards are pleased to announce  ‘Genesis’,  a new Virginia wine, with a very unique wine  label celebrating the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) and Virginia’s return to space.  Billie Reed, the Space Authority’s Executive Director will give ‘Genesis’ to his NASA hosts when he attends the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery in Florida, scheduled for November 1, 2010.

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Launch complexes on Wallops Island, Virginia

New Va. Commercial Space Flight Authority operations director named
Delmarvanow.com

Retired U.S. Navy Cdr. Zigmond V. Leszczynski has been appointed director of operations for the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority.

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An interview with Billie Reed, executive director of the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority.

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