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Washington, D.C.- It’s been 44 years since Alan Shepard piloted Mercury Freedom 7 beyond the Earth’s atmosphere, becoming the first American in space. Now June 21, 2004, can be added to the time line of landmark dates in the history of space travel. On that day last week, SpaceShip One was piloted 62.2 miles above the Earth, making it the first privately financed manned spaceflight.
Word of the successful flight traveled at rocket speed to those involved in the aerospace industry as well as the general public. The reverberations can also be felt throughout cities around the world from Mojave, California to Moscow. They are jumping at the chance to somehow get involved in the future of private space travel. But there’s one American town with a distinct advantage to headquarter future private spaceflights: Burns Flat, Oklahoma.
SpaceShip One has certainly increased awareness of the idea of privately financed space travel. The flight was launched and landed in Mojave, California, and put newly-decorated astronaut Mike Melvill a little more than 400 feet outside Earth’s atmosphere. The 90-minute flight cost $20 million, a fraction of the cost of Shepard’s 15˝ minute 1961 flight.
The brains behind the SpaceShip One Program is Burt Rutan, who also designed the first aircraft that flew around the world without refueling. Following the SpaceShip One flight, Rutan revealed that not everything went smoothly, which means there’s still much work to be done. However, he did make some very encouraging statements. “Today’s flight marks a critical turning point in the history of aerospace,” he said. “We have redefined space travel as we know it.”
Can you picture people from around the world paying thousands of dollars to fly from Washita County, Oklahoma, to a zero-gravity location outside Earth’s atmosphere? Last week’s launch has made that picture a little clearer. For years, Oklahoma space enthusiasts have been laying the groundwork for the possibility of using the former Clinton-Sherman Air Force Base in Burns Flat as a launching pad for private spacecraft.
The Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority (OSIDA), a group of aerospace experts in our state, was created with the mission of establishing and enhancing the aerospace industry in Oklahoma. Another group involved with the space port is the South Western Oklahoma Development Authority, a group of local officials that promotes job growth in eight counties around Burns Flat. Together, we have worked with FAA for funding to get the space port licensed. I've also cosponsored bills to increase tax incentives for space port development.
These groups have been promoting the many appealing qualities of Clinton-Sherman, including its control tower, emergency facilities, large hangar, and long runway. The former naval air station and Air Force base’s runway measures 2˝ miles, making it one of the longest in the world.
They’ve also attracted Rocketplane, Ltd., a company that plans on launching its space vehicles at the site. Bill Khourie, executive director of OSIDA, sees the presence of the two companies and the success of SpaceShip One as a positive step toward the future of Oklahoma’s spaceport. “It’s a fantastic, incredible event for commercial space and the private sector,” Khourie said. “This flight demonstrates that the private sector is capable of providing these operations and can do it at an inexpensive rate.” He went on to say that last week’s flight from Mojave could just as easily have been done from Burns Flat.
I have been and will continue to be supportive of efforts to revitalize Oklahoma’s aerospace industry. I’m optimistic that with continued perseverance we will note another milestone in the history of space travel, when Burns Flat becomes the departure location for privately funded trips to space. |
