Space transport service SpaceX was given approval by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last week to build its first personal airport, or spaceport, in South Texas.
SpaceX CEO and billionaire Elon Musk is looking to create a station where automated machines are responsible for fueling rockets and sending them off, a spaceport most commonly seen in science fiction movies, according to Businessweek. This new airport would sace the company time between launches.
Musk said in an interview that he is considering updating launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, in order to make launches quicker. The company is looking to add automated equipment to track rockets and monitor safety. It currently takes the government a day or two to switch its systems over from tracking another company's rocket to a SpaceX rocket.
"We needed to install automated dedicated equipment for us that has an autonomous safety system that doesn't depend on someone pushing a button to do the tracking," Musk said. "You install a set of redundant avionics on the rocket that monitor its position, and if it flies outside of an agreed-upon path, it initiates a destruct sequence."
Approval from the FAA gives SpaceX the opportunity to apply for a license so it can build a launch site at Boca Chica Beach, Chron.com reported. The agency also found in its federal review the 56.5-acre launch site would not have a negative impact on the environment of South Texas.
Once completed, the spaceport will be able to send 12 rockets into space every year for commercial purposes, as well as for purposes for NASA. These rockets include two Falcon 9 Heavy rockets that could be launched in 2015.
SpaceX's launches are currently staged at NASA military sites in Florida and California. Over three successful Falcon 9 flights have been launched at these sites.
Despite the victory with the FAA, additional approval is still needed. SpaceX must earn approval from different state officials and community leaders for building roads that would lead to the spaceport.
