While I personally wish PlanetSpace and Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria great success, I am curious about the possibility of the FAA-AST actually issuing a spaceport permit so near Columbus and its surrounding communities. The FAA is clearly charged with the protection of the public. The maximum probable loss risk-based analysis is, in part, derived on proximity to population. This would appear to be a challenging site. Nonetheless, I commend Ohio economic development officials for the willingness to engage the commercial space sector. Perhaps I should be confident that those involved have weighed the MPL problem carefully and vetted the MPL with those "in-the-know."

If Rickenbacker is going to be used just as a landing site for a "Space Plane", the risk analysis problem is significantly less than if it were to be used as a launch site.

Wasn't Planet Space the outfit that was going to take off from a barge in Canada?

Patrick, you're right. Chirinjeev has been a bit vague on this point, but the plan appears to call for the rocket to be launched from a remote site (Chirinjeev has said there are sites that would fit the bill in Ohio, or the Arrow could be launched from a barge, as had been the plan for Cape Rich in Ontario). There would be an approved air corridor between the launch site and the landing strip. Reflecting back on what Chirinjeev has said in the past, the idea is that Rickenbacker would be the rocket development site as well as the suborbital landing facility. The Cape Breton site in Nova Scotia...

http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/
archive/2006/08/17/2211.aspx

... would serve as the orbital facility. Cape Rich is a backup for suborbital testing, but Planetspace has been mired in the environmental assessment for that site. In my view, the regulatory situation is what could set back Planetspace's plans. I don't know the details about Planetspace's financial backing, but it doesn't seem as if that is a big sticking point ... as has been the case for the other Canadian rocket venture, the Da Vinci Project.

I live close to LCK (Rickenbacker) and am very skeptical, though I'd love to see it succeed.  Even if they'd only use it for landing, the weather will be a real problem.  It's frequently solid instrument conditions here.  If their proposed space plane makes an unpowered, gliding recovery (as I presume), they will have an awfully hard time with approaches.  Their pilots better have it right on glideslope *every* time because there won't be any missed approach.  So, I have to wonder if FAA will even allow it unless conditions are visual?  If so, they will only be able to rely on the weather for about 4 months out of the year.

And unfortunately, the local gov't has not shown a lot of discernment when it comes to grand new ventures at either airport.  They've been burned a couple of times and show no signs of learning from their mistakes.  It doesn't take much to sell them on new aviation business here.

Alan, Maybe you could address this - has there been a decision to eliminate the space capsule design that was originally part of Canadian Arrow's design - and instead they wiil use the Silver Dart for both sub-orbital and orbital flights? I've been rather confused on this point

In any case, $200,000 per seat is out of reach of the general public and yet citizens of the Columbus area would be subject to noise and risk. Rickenbacker is located 20 miles southeast of downtown Columbus so it would be interesting to known the areas of probability for the crash of a failed launch vehicle. If the launch area only includes a raindrop shaped footprint of farmland then there may be little risk to the public. Northeast of Rickenbacker appears to include residential areas, four parks and one outdoor aquatic facility, while the east and southeast areas are farmland.

the facts are there the do exist! there goes in god we trust ....why has there been the SETI program .artificial intelligence is avaliable .just ask NASA, they will tell us its bs, but more than 800 pilots have had ufo sightings in 40,50 years .thats on file with us airforce B 52 bombers.

You're kidding... a spaceport in OHIO? That's a good one. Pretty sure they'll build it out of particle board, PVC pipe and chicken wire, so please tell everyone to not land or take off from there. Of course, the state will try to attract interest by putting up a Waffle House, a BW3's, and a "Traditional" Irish Pub that serves Chicken Quesadillas nearby. This will be across from the Howard Johnson. A Wal-Mart supercenter will be built on the site too, I should think.

I have to admit that when I first saw the articles in local newspapers over the summer stating that Cape Breton will be the host site of a suborbital launch facility I got very excited about the idea and hoped that it would push Canada as a space-fairing nation; to add to our already high ranking as space robotics experts. However, I have since read articles saying that this plan for the launch facility in Canada has been cancelled, so I don't know how much truth the above article holds given that the comments made by others above also state Canada as the launch facility. Does anyone have an answer to this? Is there an alternate launch facility planned by PlanetSpace or will they end up going through with the Cape Breton plan as intended?

And unfortunately, the local gov't has not shown a lot of discernment when it comes to grand new ventures at either airport.

And unfortunately, the local gov't has not shown a lot of discernment when it comes to grand new ventures at either airport.  They've been burned a couple of times and show no signs of learning from their mistakes.  It doesn't take much to sell them on new aviation business here.

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