Yuma has submitted an application to the FAA to open a spaceport on land it owns outside San Luis.

Yuma, AZ (KECY, KYMA) – 3, 2, 1 … LIFT OFF!

Local leaders want Yuma’s next frontier to be outer space.

Julie Engel and the Yuma Economic Development Corporation are leading efforts to build a spaceport in Yuma County.

“This is very exciting and a game changer for the community,” said Engel.

The city wants to build a spaceport on land it owns just east of San Luis, close to the border and right next to the Arizona State Prison complex.

The spaceport itself is a slab of concrete with aerospace companies bringing their own launchers.

It’s all thanks to the city’s support of $250 million in the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) license application.

Yuma’s city administrators see this as an investment that will lead to major economic growth in the years to come.

“This adds another leg to the economy that we can support for years to come,” said Jay Simonton.

Space is also big business, with Morgan Stanley predicting that the global space industry could generate over $1 trillion in revenue by 2040.

According to Engel, the Yuma site is one of the few places in the United States where it is possible to have a spaceport.

“When a rocket launches, there are two danger zones of instability, and in both situations they are over the ocean: the Sea of ​​Cortez, and actually the Pacific Ocean,” Engel said.

Outside the space industry, Simonton said the spaceport will also boost local tourism.

“Everybody knows Cape Canaveral, Florida, and every time there’s a launch, people want to go see it, and I think we have that opportunity here,” Simonton said.

The application to the FAA has just been submitted, Engel said, and there is no timeline for when the FAA can approve or deny the license.