Nevada Gives Green Light to 200-Acre Spaceport Near Las Vegas for Commercial Space Activities
A significant new venture will launch Southern Nevada into the center of the commercial space race. Rob Lauer, CEO of the Las Vegas Spaceport and United Spaceports Corporation, is at the helm of the…
3D graphics resources for earth – https://nasa3d.arc.nasa.gov/detail/ear0xuu2. The final backdrop was produced in Blender – open source 3D graphics software.
A significant new venture will launch Southern Nevada into the center of the commercial space race. Rob Lauer, CEO of the Las Vegas Spaceport and United Spaceports Corporation, is at the helm of the development of a modern spaceport on more than 200 acres in Clark County. The facility will feature runways and a control tower, making Las Vegas a key player in the future of space travel.
"What is on the horizon are space planes," Lauer said. "There are several companies that we're working closely with right now that are building the next generation of space vehicles, which I believe will dominate the future of the space industry."
Southern Nevada is a natural base for these sorts of aerospace endeavors, given its year-round favorable weather, no state income tax, and a cost of living less than California and Florida. Its close ties with military installations such as Nellis Air Force Base and Area 51 add another level of security and strategic significance in both defense and commercial use.
The Las Vegas Spaceport will initially serve as an airport to support private jet traffic but will also offer an air taxi service. Numerous landing sites will be available across the Las Vegas Valley. The Air Mobility Solution Center is expected to help grow the local economy and attract high-craftsman aerospace firms while creating more opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and job creation.
Lauer also views the spaceport as an important national security asset, asserting that having redundant launches at a facility that could be rapidly activated to respond to geopolitical threats, especially from a competitor like China, could be invaluable.
United Spaceports Corporation, the conglomerate of which Blue Origin is a part, is targeting a NASDAQ initial public offering in the next six months. This should provide investors with an early opportunity to participate in the expanding space marketplace via a company rooted in tested technologies and infrastructure.
This ambitious project marks a bold new chapter for Nevada's role in space innovation.
