Florida’s attempt to secure a 150-acre tract of land
from NASA to develop a commercial launch complex signals the stiff
competition Texas faces in luring a space exploration company to Cameron
County, an economic development official said Friday.
Florida is not saying if it is trying to obtain the
acreage from NASA to reel in Space Exploration Technologies Inc., or
SpaceX, which is planning to construct its own launch pad.
“We are not at liberty to comment on who
the potential customers might be,” Tina Lange — spokeswoman for Space
Florida, the state’s aerospace economic development organization — told
the Valley Morning Star Friday.
But for Brownsville Economic Development
Council Vice President Gilberto Salinas, the writing is on the wall:
“It’s loud and clear.”
“Florida is trying to make their incentive package better than everybody else’s,” Salinas said.
SpaceX, headquartered in Hawthorne,
Calif., has been scouting at least Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico for
potential sites to construct the launch pad.
The developments come as Texas continues
efforts to attract SpaceX to a site near Brownsville close to Boca
Chica Beach for the launch pad project.
Salinas said Florida’s move is apparent.
“They wouldn’t want to lose SpaceX’s project to Texas. Amassing large
tracts of land is a huge indicator of what they are trying to do.”
“This is a wake-up call for all of us working on this project in Texas,” Salinas said.
The site in Cameron County has been said
to be the lead contender for the project. The Federal Aviation
Administration is conducting an environmental assessment on the site
near Boca Chica Beach, and SpaceX has purchased several properties in
Cameron County.
This comes while talks continue between
Texas and the firm on an incentives package and Cameron County
researches title to properties it believes it owns that could be leased
or sold to SpaceX. FFA verified that the environmental assessment is
being conducted at SpaceX’s expense.
As to whether or not Florida’s move impacts Texas, “We don’t have any comment,” SpaceX spokeswoman Katherine Nelson said Friday.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
Letter to NASA
Florida’s Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll
chairs the Space Florida Board and on Sept. 20 she wrote a letter to
NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden, Jr. and U.S. Department of
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. The Valley Morning Star secured the
letter from the state of Florida. Carroll enlisted their cooperation to
facilitate Space Florida’s purchase of the 150 acres.
The acreage is located at the John F.
Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in the vicinity of the former citrus
community of Shiloh and Carroll wrote that this is surplus property not
needed for public use.
Carroll further noted that the state
proposes to develop the property and operate the site as a commercial
launch complex independent of the neighboring federal range and
spaceports.
Carroll also requested that the agencies
enlist the cooperation of the secretary of the interior in that Florida
recognizes the environmental considerations associated with these areas
of KSC and the existing management responsibilities of the Department
of Interior regarding the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and
the Canaveral National Seashore.
“Additionally, through thoughtful
coordination with the Department of Interior, we believe that the
proposed actions will pose no significant impacts to the environment,”
Carroll wrote.
The results of the environmental
assessment being conducted at SpaceX’s expense by FAA on the Cameron
County site are expected to be released early next year.
Space Florida
Space Florida isn’t saying if the intent to obtain the 150-acre site from NASA is tied to SpaceX.
“There are certainly other media outlets
taking some guesses, but we are not able to talk about anybody that we
might be in discussions with in relation to that property,” Lange said.
The launch facilities that SpaceX has been accessing include Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
And, while Space Florida won’t provide
details about its plans for the land, there is no hesitancy in its
stance to do what it can to keep the commercial space exploration firm
in the “Sunshine State.”
“We have been working with SpaceX for
some time,” Lange said of Florida’s years’ long relationship with the
firm, which she said brings significant benefits to the state. “We are
thrilled to have them here and we will continue working with them,” she
said.
“We are very proud to have them in our
community,” she added, noting that Space Florida looks forward to
continue working with the firm as it looks at Florida to expand
operations.
Lange also noted that, “we certainly would want to do whatever we could to keep them . . .”
Lange said she is not aware of the
conduct of any environmental assessment in Florida regarding SpaceX’s
project, or of the purchase of any land associated with it.
Texas
Salinas said that the developments in Florida serve as a stark reminder for Texas to stay focused.
“That should remind all of us that we can’t solely rely on geographic location as an advantage over other states,” he said.
“It’s going to take a lot more to land this project.”
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