Concept: Colorado Air and Space Port
The FAA has designated Front Range Airport in Colorado as a spaceport, local authorities announced this week. The general aviation airport, located just outside Denver, is now the 11th spaceport in the U.S. and the first in Colorado. “Leaders across our state made the case that Colorado—with its robust aerospace and tech industries, strategic location and highly skilled workforce—was uniquely positioned for a spaceport,” said Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo. “We welcome today’s news and know that Spaceport Colorado will play a key role in the future of commercial space transportation around the country.” The spaceport’s license does not allow for vertical takeoffs. Rocket-powered aircraft can take off from the runways.
Local officials are looking for partners in the aerospace industry who will develop the site, now known as the Colorado Air and Space Port. The site comprises 3,200 acres and abuts another 7,000 acres of privately owned industrial property. “When combined with other developments planned for the area, this part of Adams County is poised to become a major international commercial hub,” said Adams County manager Raymond Gonzales. Other U.S. spaceports are located in California, Florida and Texas, which have two each; and Alaska, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Virginia, which each have one.
