Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Commercial Rocket Firm Aims At Launch Site In Cameron County

Commercial rocket firm SpaceX, a developer of commercial rockets and space vehicles, has applied to build a new rocket launch site in Cameron County, according to a notice from the FAA. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Monday that SpaceX is developing an environmental impact statement and public meetings to discuss the plan for a new rocket launch site, approximately 5 miles south of Port Isabel and South Padre Island. The launch site would be the first in Texas, which--despite a long history with the space industry--has not had its own launch facility. SpaceX is the first commercial firm to develop a privately financed and operational rocket ship capable of reaching space, and is the venture of technology mogul Elon Musk, who was a founder of PayPal and of electric auto firm Tesla Motors.