SpaceX Picks South Texas Site for Commercial Launch Facility

[rdunk]

This has the potential for becoming a very significant business for the State of Texas, and particularly for far South Texas. Governor Rick Perry is doing much to encourage new business and new industry come to Texas. Of course, Texas is a "tax friendly" state.

And for the country, this will be the world's first commercial space launch site. That can make a huge difference in the functionality and in the ability to "getter done", as we progress toward conquering the Moon, and maybe even getting to Mars!!!

Progress such as this can be the basis for predictions of solar system exploration and beyond becoming a true reality.  Might be some place in this for the involvement of Galactic Resource Management/ULMR to be early-on involved with Space-X in areas such as Space Travel Agency, round trip freight planning and management for the moon mining initiatives, mission priority planning and management, management and coordination with other countries needing launch windows and space lifters, etc, etc.!!

Star-Telegram

BY LAYLAN COPELIN
Austin American-Statesman

AUSTIN — SpaceX's Elon Musk and Gov. Rick Perry said Monday that the space exploration company has decided to build the world's first commercial launch site in South Texas.

The decision — three years in the making — reaffirms Texas' role as a space state as the industry evolves from a government-only enterprise to a promising frontier for the private sector.

"SpaceX is excited to expand our work in Texas with the world's first commercial launch complex designed specifically for orbital missions," Musk said. "In addition to creating hundreds of high-tech jobs for the Texas workforce, this site will inspire students, expand the supplier base and attract tourists to the South Texas area."

Since 2003, SpaceX has tested rockets at McGregor, near Waco, with a current workforce of more than 250. The new launch site, which is planned for Boca Chica, a remote beach 20 miles east of Brownsville, is expected initially to add 300 SpaceX employees in Texas and $85 million in capital investment, Perry said.

SpaceX plans to create 500 jobs over 10 years with more than $51 million annually in salaries, according to estimates by the Brownsville Economic Development Corp.

The state is giving SpaceX a $2.3 million grant from the Texas Enterprise Fund and $13 million to help the Cameron County Spaceport Development Corp. build infrastructure. One of the challenges will be extending utilities to the remote site, which is surrounded by a federal wildlife area and a state park.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/08/04/6018617/spacex-picks-south-texas-site.html?rh=1

[deuem]

The idea is great but I don't know why they want to pick Brownsville. It is right on the boarder. The Island they talk about can be reached from Mexico by small boat in minutes. So protecting them is an issue. They should go up the coast a bit to be more secure. And yes I have been there fishing and know the area well.

[robomont]

ugg,brownsville.what a dump. the only thing good down there is a little restarant in a motel that sells all you can eat flounder for like ten bucks.its in port isabelle just a few miles from brownsville.
everything else from victoria and south ,i would gladly give back to the mexicans.

[rdunk]

Yes, I agree! Brownsville is not a "high-tech" area - really quite the opposite. But, that is not a big deal, as there are some very high-tech stuff being performed in numerous areas of Texas, including Houston NASA, so such resources are available. And probably a really big deal for Space-X, except for a bit of hurricane possibility, and frequent gusty winds, there is some of the best weather of the country there. Winter temps are pretty much similar to southern Florida.

I would guess that the costs associated with all of the things necessary for setting up their type of business services is much less down there, than in most other similar places in the country, which probably is a big factor too.

And, 20 miles East of Brownsville (up the coast) looks like a pretty desolate place. May not be a "Texas Stop Sign" (Dairy Queen) there!!