Tags: SpaceX,Spaceport, NASA, Grasshopper, Reusable rocket
Publication: GizMag.com
Publication Date: 03/10/2013

Click on the image to watch SpaceX’s Grasshopper reusable vertical takeoff and landing rocket take its highest flight to date. Image credit: SpaceX

During his presentation at the South By Southwest (SXSW) Interactive festival in Austin, Texas, SpaceX founder Elon Musk said the event was not the only reason he traveled there, he was also meeting with local lawmakers to discuss the possibility of opening a new commercial launch facility in the state.

Under the billion dollar contracts SpaceX has with NASA, the company has so far conducted its launches from government facilities in Cape Canaveral in Fla. or Vandenberg Air Force Base in Calif. However, Musk insisted that opening a solely commercial spaceport is a key next step for his company.

SpaceX is looking for a location near the equator on American soil. According to reports the company is also considering sites in Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Georgia, but during his presentation Musk spoke favorably of Texas, where the company already operates a rocket development and testing site.

But of course it could all come down to which legislature offers SpaceX the best legal and tax incentives. Either way, a new spaceport would not be immediately operational given the time required for permitting, construction and testing.

During his speech at SXSW, Musk also presented a video from the latest test of the Grasshopper reusable vertical takeoff and landing rocket. The clip shows the rocket’s highest lift so far, rising 262.8 feet, hovering for 34 seconds, and then returning to the ground for a soft landing. This was the fourth successful flight for the Grasshopper since its first launch in September 2012.

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