The Houston Airport System has unveiled renderings for its latest proposal, an airport for spaceships.
The proposed Houston Spaceport features a futuristic terminal, a full university for astronaut training, zero gravity simulation and a launch site for satellites.
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Houston is working to keep its place at the forefront of all things space-related.
"I firmly believe that’s what the future of aerospace engineering looks like, and I am firmly convinced that's how we want to position Houston as a major player in this industry," said Mario C. Diaz, the city's aviation director.
Typical vertical launches are one-time only — the type that most people picture when thinking of a rocket blast. But at the Spaceport, reusable launch vehicles would take take off and land repeatedly, like airplanes.
As reported by the Associated Press and featured in the Houston Chronicle, Diaz "envisioned the facility having a terminal similar to one found at most airports where people would board aircraft that would take off like an airplane." But when the aircraft travels over Gulf of Mexico, he said, it would take a more vertical trajectory and ascend to the outer reaches of space before returning back to the spaceport for landing.
The site of the proposed Houston Spaceport, Ellington Airport, is one of three airports in the city. It has not yet been determined whether Ellington will continue to operate as a regular airport or how its potential closing would affect travel to the area.
City Council members will meet this week with the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, which is funding the project. Mayor Annise Parker, who supports the creation of the Spaceport, told the Associated Press: "We believe a licensed spaceport in Houston would not only serve as an economic generator for the city but it would also enhance Houston's well-deserved reputation as a leader and key player in the aerospace industry."
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Image: Houston Airport System