Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Senate committee advances SB62, which would create a new Spaceport Exploration Committee.
- The proposed committee would explore Utah's spaceport potential and its feasibility in the state.
- The bill kindles a similar effort by the state from the 1970s.
SALT LAKE CITY — A new bill could help Utah review its potential to explore the final frontier.
Members of the Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy and Technology Committee voted unanimously Thursday afternoon to advance SB62, which would create a new Spaceport Exploration Committee. The committee would be tasked to review Utah's space travel potential.
"There's lots of things going on in space over the next few years and next many years, and we certainly want to be part of that," Sen. Jerry Stevenson, R-Layton, the bill's sponsor, told reporters before presenting his bill to the committee. "Between the military and the private sector, both, we have everything we need. ... We have all the basics."
Spaceports are essentially airports for spacecraft, Space.com notes. Many government and commercial entities now use them to launch satellites, rockets and other types of spacecraft.
While the idea sounds futuristic, what's being proposed isn't entirely new even for Utah.
The late Utah Sen. Ralph Preece authored SB121 in 1971, directing the governor — Gov. Cal Rampton at the time — to create a spaceport steering committee to "assemble factual data" that would be presented to NASA. It would also explore the feasibility of a port in western Utah.
It was 1 of 4 states in the running at the time, said Sen. Ann Millner, R-Ogden, who explained a bit of the history to her colleagues during Thursday's meeting.
"We lost because we were not next to the ocean for bringing cargo back in," she said, a detail that gave an edge to states like California, Florida and Texas.
Stevenson's bill would direct $1 million from the Industrial Assistance Fund to rekindle those conversations five decades later, with space travel again piquing American interest, including civilian space travel.
Under the proposal, the new committee would be composed of two members selected by the president of the Senate, two people selected by the speaker of the House, as well as as the directors or designees of the Utah Inland Port Authority and several aerospace technology, missions, defense or similar fields from the various public and private sectors.
The committee would again explore the feasibility of a spaceport, while also establishing "key objectives that the state should pursue" in the endeavor. The team would also work to assess potential sites and weigh the pros and cons before making recommendations about what's in the state's "best interest" to the Utah Legislature.
Stevenson said he believes Utah is well-positioned for a spaceport because it already has Hill Air Force Base and Utah Test and Training Range, as well as vast open space in the West Desert and in eastern Utah for drops and pickups.
Many of the state's airports also have wide runways that could accommodate the types of launches that operate similarly to passenger airlines, he added. All of the state's major universities teach pre-engineering and engineering courses, which could help establish a workforce around the industry, as well.
Companies that specialize in the field like Northrop Grumman and 47G also have a growing presence in Utah.
"We're just in an amazing spot for this," Stevenson said. "We could sit back and watch this happen before us, or we could be part of it. And when Utah does things, we will lead."
Members of the committee agreed.
Sen. Karen Kwan, D-Murray, called it an "exciting program," while Millner said Utah could "have a chance to make a difference" as other states also explore the concept.
"I think what's changed now is that it's not just NASA putting out spaceflights," Millner said. "This business has now become something that private industry is doing, and I've heard from more than one that we need more launch places."
The bill will go into effect on May 7, should it be approved by the Utah Senate and House of Representatives by the end of the legislative session in March. The committee would then disband on July 1, 2027, unless the date is extended.
Contributing: Brigham Tomco
