Video Caption: Gov. Hickenlooper signed into law House Bill 1178—Sales & Use Tax Exemption for Qualified Property Used in Space Flight—at the Colorado Space Coalition’s exhibit on Tuesday, May 20 at the 30th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, the premier gathering of the global space community. This crucial legislation will help expand aerospace industry growth in Colorado.
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper will sign a measure that will provide for sales, use and storage tax exemptions for spaceflight property during the 30th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs on May 20.
The bill defines qualified property for use in spaceflight as:
Spaceflight covers any vehicle that can perform suborbital, orbital and interplanetary flights. Space vehicles include orbital facilities, propulsion systems, satellites and space stations.
DENVER, Colo. (Governor Hickenlooper PR) — Gov. John Hickenlooper joined the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) on November 25, 2013 to announce that Maj. Gen. Jay H. Lindell will be Colorado’s Aerospace and Defense Industry Champion.
Lindell will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the state’s aerospace strategic plan and developing and implementing strategies surrounding the state’s military bases, including leading efforts surrounding all Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) activities.
“Maj. Gen. Lindell will be a great advocate and passionate voice for ensuring that the state’s various industry networks and groups within aerospace and defense are united,” Hickenlooper said. “We know his extensive experience will help align military assets in preparation of consolidation and workforce training, and we are fortunate to have such a dedicated person to lead our efforts.”
Via Office of John Hickenlooper
Gov. John Hickenlooper announced on Aug. 29, 2013 the appointment of Mark Sirangelo, head of Sierra Nevada Corporation Space Systems, as the Chairman of the Colorado Innovation Network (COIN) and as the state’s new Chief Innovation Officer. He will begin work Aug. 30.
“Mark’s experience in aerospace, a heavily innovative and important industry in Colorado, will serve him well as he leads the state’s efforts to increase our innovative competitiveness,” Hickenlooper said. “He is a well respected business executive and understands the necessity of collaboration in building this type of ecosystem. We are proud he is joining our team.”
WASHINGTON (Colorado Congressional Delegation PR) — On Feburay 5, the Colorado congressional delegation welcomed a Brookings Institution report, “Launch!: Taking Colorado’s Space Economy to the Next Level,” and pledged to work in Washington to ensure the state’s aerospace industry remains strong and growing.
DENVER (Brookings Instituion PR) — Anchored by critical military installations, glistening clean rooms, and a dynamic GIS and earth-observation industry, Colorado possesses one of the most diversified, high-potential space economies in the nation, concludes a new study released by the Brookings Institution in Denver on Feb. 5, 2013.
At the same time, argues the report, maintaining this preeminence in the presence of numerous disruptive global trends will require an aggressive collaboration of industry and government.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., April 18, 2012 (Colorado Space Coalition PR) — Tomorrow, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper will sign into law a bill that will position Colorado to capitalize on significant new opportunities in commercial space transportation.
Gov. Hickenlooper will sign Senate Bill 35 during an industry luncheon on Thursday, April 19 at the 28th National Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, the premier gathering of the global space community. The law limits liability for companies that would operate space flights from the proposed Spaceport Colorado.
A bill has been introduced in the Colorado Legislature that would provide commercial spaceflight operators with liability protection in the event they injure or kill customers.
Colorado has applied to the FAA of spaceport certification of Front Range Airport, which is about 22 miles from Denver and six miles from Denver International Airport. The reason? To prepare for the impending era of suborbital, point-to-point passenger service:
The impetus for applying for spaceport certification now is the result of serious interest on the part of out-of-state companies preparing for future space tourism, said Tom Clark, CEO of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp.
The companies, which Clark would not identify, are working on a spacecraft that takes off horizontally from a runway like a plane but then, tens of thousands of feet into the air, lights a booster rocket capable to taking passengers past the upper reaches of the atmosphere, Clark said.
That would open up the possibility not just of space travel to ordinary — but wealthy — people, but also of ultrafast travel to points on Earth, he said.
“Once you light that thing, then you’re in Sydney [Australia] in an hour and a half,” Clark said. “We in Colorado like to brag about being able to ski in the morning and golf in the afternoon. This would let us boast we can ski in morning and be surfing just after lunch — that’s the future these people are talking about.”
It’s a great vision. I’m not sure just how quickly that will happen. There are a lot of steps involved and it could take some time. On the other hand, why wait until it’s here to get a spaceport designation? And in the meantime, Colorado would be able to attract companies developing the vehicles.
Site for Colorado’s Space Act research park could be picked next month: Unnamed developer has submitted letter of intent to build
Colorado Daily
The location of a 200-acre research campus resulting from Colorado’s recent Space Act agreement with NASA — a broad program estimated to result in the creation of 10,000 jobs statewide — could be determined as early as mid-January, an official involved with the agreement said Monday.
NASA PRESS RELEASE
NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver and Colorado Governor Bill Ritter Jr., participated Monday in a Space Act Agreement signing ceremony at the Colorado State Capitol Building in Denver to promote the commercialization of technology developed for the space program.
NASA’s agreement with the Colorado Association for Manufacturing and Technology (CAMT) created a Technology Acceleration Program and Regional Innovation Cluster for Aerospace and Clean Energy. A manufacturing park focused on rapid new product development and production will be developed to assist growing Colorado businesses.
