(Washington, DC) – 9 June 2008 – Tom Feeney (R-Oviedo) today released the following statement following Orbital’s announcement that they will launch their Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) Phase I flights out of Wallops in Virginia. Tom Feeney met with Orbital senior executives and urged them to locate their COTS launch site at Cape Canaveral.
“While I’m disappointed with Orbital’s decision to launch out of Wallops in Virginia, I look forward to sitting down with Orbital for a briefing on Florida’s strengths and weaknesses from a launch industry perspective. “I thank Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp and Space Florida CEO Steve Koehler for putting together an incentive package to lure Orbital to the Space Coast. Today’s disappointing announcement highlights Florida’s need to redouble our efforts to attract space business to Cape Canaveral.
“On the bright side, the NASA Reauthorization Bill that I cosponsored as Ranking Member of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, passed the full Science and Technology Committee last week and included a requirement that NASA study future commercial launch ranges to be located near current federal ranges. I plan to continue to fight to complete a vision for Florida’s Space Coast to become a 21st century international aerospace and space epicenter,” said Feeney. The NASA Reauthorization Bill will be considered by the full House this Wednesday.
