In 2019 GSA established a series of working groups focused on specific subject areas. The Working Groups will consider the topics and make recommendations for GSA activities, including national and international policy initiatives that may be communicated to relevant governance bodies.
Attending members agreed to serve on the respective working groups as follows:
GSA Working Groups
Point‐to‐Point Transportation
The ability to conduct high-speed, long-distance transportation, specifically point-to-point transportation through space, will be a major game-changer for the global space economy. The ability to fly from one side of the Earth to the other in less than 90 minutes will radically change not only how we travel, but how we communicate and how we do business. This working group will address the issues relating to spaceport readiness for this exciting eventuality.
Oscar Garcia, InterFlight Global, Co‐Chair
Arturo Machuca, Houston Air and Space Port, Co‐Chair
Francisco Partida, Special Projects Manager, City of Brownsville
Frederick Jenet, Director, UTRGV’s CARA/STARGATE
Dan Hicks, Spaceport America
Ben Hernandez, Arizona Spaceport Alliance
Todd Lindner, Jacksonville Aviation Authority
James Lassiter, Corgan
Dave Ruppel, Colorado Air and Space Port
Academic Partnerships
Universities are ideal partners for spaceports, which will be hubs for innovation and the development of new technologies wherever they exist. This working group will discuss potential opportunities for academic engagement with current and emerging spaceports.
Dan Hicks, Spaceport America, Chair
Karyn MacVean, Arizona Spaceport Alliance
Robert Aillon, Leviathan Space Industries
Cherie Matthew, Corgan
Miles Carden, Spaceport Cornwall
Shinichi Takata, Space Port Japan Association
Chas Miller, Spaceport America
Frederick Jenet, UTRGV’s CARA/STARGATE
Communicating the Value of Space to Regional Economies
Spaceports can serve as a tangible expression of the value of spaceflight. They can also play an important role in helping communities understand and take advantage of the tremendous potential of space, not only for local populations, but also for regional and national economies. This working group will focus on how we can best communicate that good-news story to the general public.
Miles Carden, Spaceport Cornwall, Chair
Karyn MacVean, Arizona Spaceport Alliance
Francisco Partida, City of Brownsville
Ben Hernandez, Arizona Spaceport Alliance
Space Support Vehicles
Even before commercial human spaceflights become routine, many spaceports may have a chance to host space-related aircraft activities for training or research and development purposes. This working group will investigate how we can facilitate the operation of such “Space Support Vehicles,” which could provide near-term revenue and business opportunities for spaceports.
Dave Ruppel, Colorado Air and Space Port, Co‐Chair
Todd Lindner, Cecil Air and Space Port, Co‐Chair
Robert Aillon, Leviathan Space Industries
Scott McLaughlin, Spaceport America
Oscar Garcia, InterFlight Global
Todd Lindner, Jacksonville Aviation Authority
Spaceport Infrastructure Funding
Spaceports have unique infrastructure requirements which can often require significant investment. This working group will seek to identify common infrastructure needs and recommend potential legal, policy, and regulatory changes that could allow spaceports to better respond to the financial challenges they face.
Les Lake, Aerospace Market Leader, Chair
Mark Lester, Pacific Spaceport Complex
Chanse Watson, Stennis International Airport
Alma Miller, UTRGV’s CARA/STARGATE
Pat Hynes, NMSU
Scott McLaughlin, Spaceport America
David Whitestone, Holland & Knight LLP
Hidetaka Aoki, Space Port Japan Association
Mark Lester, Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation