The vote follows Cedar Park’s approval of the organization Aug. 7, and the two entities will work together to support spaceport development projects, according to county documents.
Explained
SDCs develop, manage and operate a spaceport, which are specialized launch and landing facilities for spacecraft, rockets and satellites.
The SDC will be governed by a board of directors—three appointed by Cedar Park, and four appointed by the county. Commissioners unanimously approved the appointments of Julie Lessiter, Ed Trevis, Dave Porter and Lori Magruder.
Cedar Park previously appointed Jana Spruce, Han Kim and Mark Burgett to the board.
What they’re saying
“It creates a whole other business opportunity in a business sector that really has been limited,” Precinct 2 Commissioner Cynthia Long said. “It will expand business opportunity across the county for space exploration and renewable space exploration.”
The history
Williamson County originally had plans to partner with Burnet County to create an SDC, according to previous Community Impact reporting. While it wasn’t a “prime time” for them, Long said, Texas law allows counties to partner with cities for the corporations.
Firefly Aerospace, located in Cedar Park, was the first commercial company to successfully land on the moon earlier this year. The company has plans for hundreds of millions of dollars in future lunar landing and other projects.
There are five other SDCs in Texas, and each entity is eligible to apply for state and federal grants to support the spaceport industry.
What’s next
Following the county and city’s approval, a certificate of formation will be filed with the Texas secretary of state to formally establish the SDC.
