FAA grants Houston Airport System space Launch Site License

The Houston Airport System has been granted a Launch Site License from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that enables Ellington Airport to establish itself as a launch site for Reusable Launch Vehicles, making it the 10th commercial spaceport in the United States.

Nearly two years after Houston City Council members gave their overwhelming support for the project, the FAA's formal approval opens the door for plans that could see Ellington Airport become a focal point for aerospace operations, such as the launching of micro satellites, astronaut training, zero gravity experimentation, spacecraft manufacturing and a host of other potential activities.

Situated near the Gulf of Mexico, and featuring more than 400 acres of land readily available for development, Ellington Airport is tailor-made for the requirements associated with an operating licensed Spaceport.

NASA plans to remove engines on Shuttle Carrier Aircraft

NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) is putting together a plan to remove the engines from the two retired Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), according to contract documents posted Friday on the Federal Business Opportunities website.

“NASA/DFRC has a requirement for engines removal, assessment for airworthiness and packing for shipment of Pratt and Whitney turbofan engines JT9D-7J,” the space agency said in contract documents. “The engines are currently installed on two retired Boeing 747SCA. These 747SCA are located in two different locations: one aircraft is located at the Dryden Aircraft Operation Facility in Palmdale, Calif., and the other aircraft is located at the Johnson Space Center, Ellington Field, Houston, Texas.” All assessments must be conducted at these locations, NASA said.

“The government's delivery schedule for the engines is very critical,” NASA said in contract documents. “For the aircraft located at Ellington Field, engine assessment and removal required to be completed by Aug. 31. For the aircraft located at Palmdale, and all other tasks expected to be completed by Oct. 1.”

NASA provided no clear reason for the removal of the engines in contract documents.

SOFIA engines

In June, DFRC issued a request on the FBO website to acquire four Pratt and Whitney JT9D-7J engines specifically configured for a Boeing 747SP legacy aircraft.

The four jet engines are needed for NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) program to sustain the projected 20 year flight envelope of the science platform. The highly modified Boeing 747SP SOFIA jet carries a German-built telescope used for infrared astronomy research.

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