With more and more nations working hard to develop their space industries, the “space race” is getting even tighter, requiring the U.S. to step up its game. It looks like vertical launch sites are a key asset, so locations like Spaceport Camden are highly coveted. The recent approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for this launch site confirms it.
First of all, behind the space race cliché, there’s a $447 billion industry that’s going to reach a whopping $3 trillion before 2050, according to Bank of America’s estimates. So, the stakes are huge when it comes to the infrastructure required for this industry, including launch sites. We know that there are plenty of licensed spaceports on the U.S. territory, but it turns out that only the vertical ones have a strategic value, because this is what’s required for future launches.
According to a recent study for the Pentagon, cited by the Camden authorities, the U.S. is at risk of depending on the few vertical spaceports currently available. Out of 12 launch sites in total, only two on the East Coast are vertical. One of the ways of counteracting this serious risk is to invest in more vertical launch sites. One of them is Spaceport Camden, which recently got the green light from FAA.
Camden County was actually the official “Gateway to Space” in the past century, so this new license has a historic significance for the heritage region and the industry overall. Both an alternate launch site for the Apollo program, and a location for rocket testing, Camden will contribute to 12 small vehicle launches each year.
Camden’s main advantage is the vertical lift – low latitude sites located on the East Coast provide “free boost velocity from the earth’s rotation.” This means less fuel required to reach the orbit and the possibility of a bigger payload. By becoming the third launch space of this kind in the U.S., this Georgia spaceport will help take the pressure off the other similar locations, while attracting commercial space activities that will boost its own economy.
Plus, as the location of the Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, this region will also benefit from military workforce that can transfer its skills, after retirement, into the booming commercial space industry.
Located below 31 degrees of latitude, on the Atlantic seaboard, this strategic spaceport in a historically-important region is ready to expand American key operations in space.
According to a recent study for the Pentagon, cited by the Camden authorities, the U.S. is at risk of depending on the few vertical spaceports currently available. Out of 12 launch sites in total, only two on the East Coast are vertical. One of the ways of counteracting this serious risk is to invest in more vertical launch sites. One of them is Spaceport Camden, which recently got the green light from FAA.
Camden County was actually the official “Gateway to Space” in the past century, so this new license has a historic significance for the heritage region and the industry overall. Both an alternate launch site for the Apollo program, and a location for rocket testing, Camden will contribute to 12 small vehicle launches each year.
Camden’s main advantage is the vertical lift – low latitude sites located on the East Coast provide “free boost velocity from the earth’s rotation.” This means less fuel required to reach the orbit and the possibility of a bigger payload. By becoming the third launch space of this kind in the U.S., this Georgia spaceport will help take the pressure off the other similar locations, while attracting commercial space activities that will boost its own economy.
Plus, as the location of the Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, this region will also benefit from military workforce that can transfer its skills, after retirement, into the booming commercial space industry.
Located below 31 degrees of latitude, on the Atlantic seaboard, this strategic spaceport in a historically-important region is ready to expand American key operations in space.