Spaceport at Stennis airport eyed

KILN, Miss. -- The Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission has commissioned RS&H, Inc. to study the feasibility of obtaining a Launch Site Operator License that could open the door to commercial space flight out of Stennis International Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration has developed regulations that enable airports to host operations of reusable launch vehicles that take off and land like aircraft. Several kinds of such vehicles are currently under development. The study will examine the feasibility of hosting spaceport operations, as well as the infrastructure needs and potential economic benefits of such operations. Commission CEO Bill Cork said the commercial space industry is "poised for dynamic growth, and Hancock County is uniquely positioned to benefit from this growth." The airport is just outside NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center, the nation's largest rocket engine test facility. (Source: Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission, 01/12/18)