Yuma, Arizona – Yuma calls itself the “gateway to the Great Southwest,” but now the city wants to become a gateway to space.
The city hopes that a desert land plot just east of San Luis near the border will become Arizona’s first space plant location.
“What we’re talking about is a spaceport that launches small rockets carrying communication satellites. We’re not firing people or launching Teslas.
Mayor Nichols has been appointed to the recently rebooted one Arizona Space Committee Gov. Katie Hobbs. Yuma’s Spaceport project has been in the works for many years and gained traction in 2019 when Yuma Economic Development Corporation first received a grant to conduct a feasibility study.
The desert climate of Yuma and the location near the Sea of Cortez makes it a viable place for safely launching rockets.
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“Using a track to the south, we’re standing up through the Gulf of California in about six seconds,” Nichols said. “So we’ll be giving the state a unique opportunity and becoming an asset to launch the rocket.”
The rockets are small, but they are a big business. World Economic Forum The space industry predicts it will be worth nearly $2 trillion in 10 years.
Yuma’s interest in the project reached the state capitol.
Senator Tim Dunn helped send letters to the federal government Request Spaceport approvalhe says he is committed to ensuring that other large companies in Yuma are not affected.
“We’re having a conversation and talking about making sure the gas they use is non-toxic, so it doesn’t affect the citizens or the agriculture industry,” Dan said.
The final hurdle to clear is to obtain approval from the FAA. And hopefully, the LaunchPad structure could begin. Mayor Nichols says the goal is to complete the application by the end of the year. The city may still be in a few years since it saw its release, but he says it’s on a promising trajectory and the project is worth the wait.
“It brings us more tourism and overall interest and hopefully brings us more economic opportunities,” Nichols said.
