Eleven companies show interest in an aerospace port for possible launches from Puerto Rico

(CNN Spanish) – The Puerto Rico Ports Authority confirmed that it has received information from eleven aerospace, engineering and service companies interested in participating in the development and operations of an aerospace port at the José Aponte de la Torre de Ceiba regional airport, in the east of the island.

This airport works in what was the Roosevelt Roads base of the United States Navy and aims to carry out possible launches of ships into space.

In March, the Puerto Rico Ports Authority (APPR) had begun the Request for Information (RFI) process to identify a master developer for this concept.

The firms that signed up are Spaceinnova, ASTRA, Jacobs, VAS Corporation, Kimley-Horn, McFarland Johnson, Ceiba World Spaceport Development Group, Javier E. Bidot & Associates, Watkins Cerny Architects & Planners Inc., Maritime Launch and BRPH Mission Solutions.

“Now the APPR will evaluate them, and in conversations with the Department of Economic Development and Commerce and the Roosevelt Roads Local Redevelopment Authority the next steps will be decided. This is a preliminary stage to examine future development alternatives,” he said. Joel A. Pizá Batiz, executive director of the Puerto Rico Ports Authority.

What would the aerospace port of Puerto Rico consist of?

Pizá Batiz commented that the information request process responds to a study carried out by the firm RS&H that determined that the Ceiba regional airport and the facilities that surround it could function as a geographically strategic space to manufacture and store aerospace equipment.

In addition, in the future, launch activities could be contemplated if the approval of a space vehicle launch operator license is achieved.

APPR reported that space launches have been on the rise in the United States since the XPrize competition was held in 2004. The goal of the competition was to send humans on suborbital missions without using NASA vehicles.

There are currently 12 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified aerospace ports. In addition, 12 companies have already started the certification process or announced that they will soon carry it out. In addition, there are four launch points for private actors.

According to the APPR, the launches can be of balloons, nano-satellites and even space transport ships. Activity is subject to FAA approval.

The Google company had used the Ceiba regional airport for “Loon”, a pilot project that sought to provide Internet connection from balloons to regions with difficult access.