A private spaceport proposed for the Georgia coast achieved a big step this week: an initial analysis from the Federal Aviation Administration on how construction and launches at the Camden County spaceport could affect people, businesses and the environment.
The FAA finds that launches will be very loud, though for relatively short lengths of time, and when there are launches, some areas on land and on the water will have to be closed for safety, including on Cumberland Island National Seashore. Camden County proposes to have up to 12 launches a year.
The draft environmental review took about two years.
“We’re excited about this major milestone and look forward to reviewing it,” said Steve Howard, Camden County’s administrator, and lead on the spaceport effort. “It’s what I call one step for Camden. One giant leap for the state of Georgia.”
Megan Desrosiers, head of the coastal Georgia environmental organization One Hundred Miles, said she’s concerned about accidents.
