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Forum:Commercial Space - Military Space
Topic:SpaceX Texas launch site: development and news
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Senator Eddie Luico, Jr. (District 27)

As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Lucio worked with the Governor's office to allocate up to $15 million in the state's budget, contingent upon SpaceX locating a spaceport in Texas. Sen. Lucio was also the Senate sponsor for House Bill 2623 by Rep. Rene Oliveira, which ensures the public's right to beach access while also providing a way to protect public safety during SpaceX launches.

Today's groundbreaking is historic. It signifies the construction of a new industry and a new future for the Rio Grande Valley. SpaceX's launch site will soon become an invaluable economic driver for South Texas. With this site comes tens of millions of dollars in capital investment in our community annually, and hundreds of well-paying jobs over the next decade. We've set up South Texas as a future leader in developing bleeding-edge space technology which will influence future commerce for the whole planet.

I hope the new launch site will propel a dramatic culture change in our region of the state, encouraging more of our children to pursue careers in engineering and science. Future generation of South Texas residents will look to this site and know that not even the sky is the limit for where their dreams may take them.

University of Texas at Brownsville

SpaceX has been an impressive company to work with through the entire site selection process. They have looked for ways to engage university faculty, our students and our commercialization programs. Clearly the SpaceX team understands the power of collaboration with the regional community and the University of Texas. — Irv Downing, Vice President of Economic Development and Institutional Advancement

Brownsville Economic Development Council

The SpaceX deal significantly changed the philosophy of Brownsville leadership, interagency collaboration and partnerships between the public sector, private industry and higher education in the quest of creating economic vitality, and not waiting for it. — Jason Hilts, President & CEO of the Brownsville Economic Development Council.

This is the first of many partnerships such as SpaceX which gives us excitement about Brownsville's horizon and ability to reach new frontiers — Keith Uhles, Chairman of the Brownsville Economic Development Council.

The capital investment of SpaceX in our region and its commitment to our young students, solidifies the fact that Brownsville's human capital will have the tools to work in innovative industries and in turn, they will help the Commercial Space Industry flourish in South Texas. — David Betancourt, Chairman of the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation.

Harlingen Economic Development Corporation

SpaceX's decision to locate a launch facility in Cameron County is a great addition to our community. Harlingen has pledged it's support for SpaceX and the aerospace industry in general as has been demonstrated by our commitment to provide financial support for SpaceX's efforts to create jobs in our region. This project and the benefits it will bring go hand in hand with our efforts to enhance the region's workforce and create an industry cluster which will create high-paying jobs and educational opportunities for our citizens. We look forward to fostering our relationship with SpaceX and its suppliers and working with TSTC-Harlingen, UTRGV, and our local schools to bring about an real changes in the lives of our community. — Raudel Garza, CEO, Development Corporation of Harlingen, Inc.

Point Isabel Independent School District

The Point Isabel Independent School District (PIISD) welcomes SpaceX to the Lower Rio Grande Valley area and to the Point Isabel Independent School District community. PIISD enthusiastically supports SpaceX as it begins its business endeavors in South Texas, recognizing that SpaceX presents unlimited possibilities, both economically and educationally, for the area and the nearly 3,000 students of PIISD and their families.

Dr. Lisa Garcia, Superintendent of Schools, maintains, "A high tide raises all ships" and with the impact of SpaceX on the Port Isabel community it is without a doubt the economic level of the community will be positively impacted through the creation of jobs. But, aside from the economic impact that SpaceX offers the community, SpaceX will also influence the hopes and aspirations of the students in this community.

With scheduled rocket launches from nearby Boca Chica Beach, PIISD students will have a front row seat to history with the expansion of commercial space flight. We have great confidence the PIISD school district motto of, "Honor Tradition, Lead Innovation," will be carried out as potential educational partnerships with SpaceX and the local university will allow students to explore careers in Science, Technology, Math and Engineering. As the school district prepares the next generation of forward thinkers for jobs that are yet to be invented; SpaceX will allow our students to not only dream, but to achieve those dreams.

Robert PearlmanA few additional notes from the groundbreaking ceremony from SpaceFlight Now's Stephen Clark via Twitter:
  • SpaceX plans to finish work at Kennedy Space Center's Pad 39A before building out South Texas launch site.
  • First launch from South Texas site could be in late 2016 or 2017. Plan to focus on GTO (Geostationary Transfer Orbit) missions.
  • Commercial crews (meaning non-NASA crew flights) may also launch from South Texas.
daboltonHow will SpaceX deliver boosters to Boca Chica; overland or ocean deliveries?
Robert PearlmanI haven't seen SpaceX make any public statements to the effect, but I would think that stage and payload deliveries would be made as they are to Florida, by truck (with international payloads arriving to the area by plane).
daboltonDo you have any pictures of Falcon stages traveling by truck?
Robert PearlmanSee here, here and here.
A truck carrying the first stage of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket arrives at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
SpaceAholicBloomberg: The Tiny Town That Hates Elon Musk
People who live in Boca Chica Village, all 26 of them, knew Elon Musk’s SpaceX company would put the South Texas town on the map after it was selected last year as the world’s first commercial rocket-launch site. Now, many want SpaceX gone and their obscurity back.
Robert PearlmanConstruction on the site hasn't even begun yet and when it does get underway, it may take up to two years to complete. So it seems a bit premature to start complaining about displacements when the specifics aren't yet set in stone (literally and figuratively).

Besides that though, it is not without precedent for local residents to have to vacate their homes out of launch safety concerns. The same happens on Merritt Island and Chincoteague Island.

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