By Seaman H.R. No. 315
77R6863 ELG-D
R E S O L U T I O N
1-1 WHEREAS, Many of the most historic moments in the history of
1-2 space exploration had origins in Texas, and in the 1960s and 1970s
1-3 the world watched breathlessly as NASA's Mission Control in Houston
1-4 coordinated the exploration of outer space and the moon; Texas
1-5 continues to be a leader in the development of aerospace
1-6 technology; and
1-7 WHEREAS, The commercial delivery of cargo into orbit is the
1-8 next significant development in this rapidly developing field, and
1-9 according to a report by the Texas Spaceport Consortium, the
1-10 commercial space industry is growing by 15 to 20 percent per year;
1-11 and
1-12 WHEREAS, More than 1,700 satellites will need to be launched
1-13 over the next 10 years to meet the growing demands of voice and
1-14 data communications, radio and television programming, navigation,
1-15 agriculture, surveying and mapping, meteorology, and resource
1-16 exploration; the United States competes for this growing commercial
1-17 launch business with China, Russia, Japan, and the European Space
1-18 Agency; and
1-19 WHEREAS, New aerospace technologies will significantly
1-20 increase the reliability and reduce the cost of deploying space
1-21 vehicles; these new developments include reusable launch vehicles
1-22 (RLVs) that operate from specially designed, airport-type
1-23 facilities called spaceports; and
1-24 WHEREAS, A spaceport facility would create permanent,
2-1 high-paying jobs for Texans, including 4,000 new jobs and $700
2-2 million in direct regional economic impact over seven years, as
2-3 well as several thousand additional indirect jobs; moreover, the
2-4 facility would have the potential to foster education in
2-5 engineering and the sciences and to become another Texas tourist
2-6 destination; and
2-7 WHEREAS, The State of Texas is an ideal location for these
2-8 facilities; three sites, in Brazoria, Kenedy, and Pecos counties,
2-9 have been evaluated and shown to have many of the criteria for the
2-10 establishment of a spaceport, including the ability to launch
2-11 safely to all orbits, wide-open space, moderate climate and stable
2-12 geology, clear landing approaches, limited competition for
2-13 airspace, good infrastructure, and a skilled workforce; and
2-14 WHEREAS, The Texas Legislature created the Texas Aerospace
2-15 Commission in 1988 and charged it with the mission of serving the
2-16 citizens of Texas by bolstering the state's economy through
2-17 development in the fields of space and aviation; and
2-18 WHEREAS, The 76th Texas Legislature authorized local
2-19 governments to create economic development corporations to
2-20 encourage the location of spaceports in Texas; since that time,
2-21 regional organizations have spent more than $500,000 in local funds
2-22 to develop site information, conduct preliminary evaluations, and
2-23 work with launch companies, the state, and the federal government;
2-24 and
2-25 WHEREAS, Many individuals and local communities have worked
2-26 tirelessly to achieve the goal of locating a spaceport in Texas,
2-27 and while they have made significant progress thus far, much more
3-1 work remains to be done; there exists strong competition from other
3-2 states, including Florida, California, New Mexico, Nevada, and
3-3 Virginia, which have provided funding and incentives to lure
3-4 spaceports and space-related industries to their states; now,
3-5 therefore, be it
3-6 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas
3-7 Legislature hereby endorse and support the efforts of the Texas
3-8 Aerospace Commission and the individuals and communities involved
3-9 in the challenging endeavor to bring a spaceport to Texas.