Virginia Spaceport Budget Increased

The proposed $1.3 million dollar annual influx of Virginia funds for the operation of the state's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport was reduced by the Senate Finance Committee to about $300,000 in the FY 10/11 proposed budget. The House Appropriations Committee reduced the $1.3 million gubernatorial request to slightly over $1,000,000 for FY 2010/11 leaving the two budget figures to be reconciled in a joint House-Senate Conference Committee on the state budget.

One thing is now certain, Virginia will dedicate general fund revenue to assist in the commercial spaceport operations. It has now become a question of whether it be almost $300,000 or $1,000,000 beginning July 1, 2010. Spaceport advocates will push for the larger figure, in the 3-act political play.

Virginia faces up to a $4 billion state budget shortfall in anticipated revenue over the next two-years in one of the toughest budget sessions in decades. The spaceport operating fund of $1.3 million enjoyed the support of both former governor Tim Kaine and the new governor Robert F. McDonnell.

With the Senate and House now at a mid-point in the 2010 session it appears the July 1, 2013 sunset clause removal on the Virginia Commercial Spaceflight Liability and Immunity Act will be passed and placed on Governor McDonnell's desk for signature with a bill patroned by Del. Terry G. Kilgore. It was the first such human spaceflight liability limitation passed and enacted into law by a state legislature in the United States in 2007.

The state also appears on the cusp of extending the Virginia Aerospace Advisory Council depsite the lack of adequate state staffing resources to build a stratgeic plan for industry and workforce.

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport orbital launch manifest (valued at more than $2-billion and bringing hundreds of jobs to the state) as of this date:

DATE MISSION PAD
Oct 2010 USAF ORS 1 0-B
Mar 2011 NASA COTS Demo 1 0-A
Oct 2011 NASA CRS 1 0-A
Jun 2012 NASA CRS 2 0-A
Oct 2012 NASA LADEE (Lunar) 1 0-B

Mar 2013 NASA CRS 3 0-A
Sep 2013 NASA CRS 4 0-A
Mar 2014 NASA CRS 5 0-A
Sep 2014 NASA CRS 6 0-A
Mar 2015 NASA CRS 7 0-A
Sep 2015 NASA CRS 8 0-A