Nye County water board addresses Las Vegas Spaceport project
United Spaceports Corporation CEO Rob Lauer’s vision of the Las Vegas Spaceport is steadily coming together and though the project is located in Clark County, it’s also situated within the confines of Pahrump’s groundwater Basin No. 162. As such, the Nye County Water District Governing Board was interested in learning more about the endeavor and Lauer obliged, providing the board with a presentation on the Las Vegas Spaceport during its February meeting.
Lauer kicked off his presentation with an overview of where the project stands today. Phase one is underway and includes a 5,000-foot long, 100-foot wide runway, hangars and an access road for which the company already has approval by the Bureau of Land Management. To help residents peg down precisely where the spaceport project sits along Highway 160, Lauer cited the Yellow Pine Solar facility on the opposite side of the highway. The location can be marked by the green shipping container at its entrance, which will eventually become a security guard office.
“Phase two includes an FBO (Fixed Base Operation] or private jet terminal and potentially a hotel. Phase three would obviously include a spaceport license from the FAA, which is already in progress,” Lauer detailed on Feb. 11, adding that FAA licensing takes about two years to secure.
“That doesn’t mean we’re able to launch anything,” he then stressed. “It’s just a license to maybe launch something in the future.”
Water-impact concerns addressed
As the body charged with protecting and preserving the water resources of Nye County, the potential impact on water quality and quantity was a main point of the board’s discussion.
Starting with concerns about rocket fuel, Lauer first pointed out that the water table in that area is 800 feet deep. In addition, rather than using kerosene, many space companies are moving to methane which, Lauer said, turns into water vapor when burned. Hydrogen is also drawing increased interest by the space industry as a fuel source, he noted, and both of these carry less environmental concerns than previous types of rocket fuel.
He then listed out several key components of the project which are all geared toward reducing any potential negative impact from the operations. These included:
■ AI monitoring and testing for soil near launch sites.
■ Establishment of plans for emergency spill/leak clean-up.
■ Dedicated storage tanks and transfer lines for the fuel to minimize cross-contamination.
■ Closed-loop systems to prevent spills and emissions.
■ Leak-detection systems to identify potential leaks before they occur.
■ Launch site procedures that include containment measures to capture any potential spills.
■ Dedicated waste disposal systems for spent fuel and related waste materials.
“There is a huge push in the space industry for sustainability… it’s a very critical issue that we don’t damage the environment,” Lauer emphasized.
When it comes to water consumption, water board member Bruce Holden homed in on the plans for a hotel at the site, remarking, “That’s going to be a lot of water.”
Lauer said it was premature to get into those details, as Las Vegas Spaceport’s focus is on phase one of the project. “When we are ready to run a proposal for the hotel, we’ll come back to you and give you those numbers,” Lauer replied, noting, “Water is important and we’re not going to waste it.”
Experimentation was something that caught water board member Michael Lach’s attention and he expressed concern about the possibility of issues arising from such activities, recalling the damage done to the water resources at the former Nevada Test Site.
“I would want this board to pay attention to whatever new products you might be trying to use or do or fuels, anything like that, because the water that is down there, we may be drawing from in the future,” Lach stated.
Lauer said the experimentation to which he was referring was in relation to new techniques to extract water from the air, as well as recycling it for reuse, something that is critical in the space industry.
“If it’s technology that’s new, that’s when I would be concerned. But otherwise, have at it! I’d love to see a rocket go up in the air,” Lach responded.
Lauer assured the board that every single spacecraft that would be used at that site would have to go through its own environmental impact studies prior to launch and he would return to the water board for each specific aircraft or spacecraft to ensure the members are kept apprised.
“Human capital” to provide possible benefits for Pahrump area
As the project advances, Lauer said his company is looking to acquire emerging space companies to bring them under the Las Vegas Spaceport umbrella and create a “one-stop-shop” for the satellite-launching industry. In doing so, a plethora of high-paying jobs will be created and Lauer plans to institute a STEM academy to educate and train future employees, many of whom could be residents of Pahrump.
“The technologies that we are going to be able to bring here and the wealth and the jobs we are going to create are really going to be revolutionary for this community here,” Lauer stated. “Because frankly, Nye County is one that benefits, it’s not going to be Clark County. Even though we are technically in Clark County, we shop at the Home Depot here, we shop at the Walmart here, we shop here. A lot of the people who are going to be working at this facility are probably going to be living in your community here, in the homes here. So, it’s going to have a direct impact on everything in this area.”
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com
