SENTINEL EXPRESS C O M M E R C E
VOLUME 34 32
C I T Y
TUESDAY JUNE 22, 2021 TUESDAY , N,OVEMBER 24, 2020
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SSUE 48 26 ISSUE
NewColorado COVID-19 restrictions will prohibit indoorup dining, gatherings Spaceport teams for personal spaceplane New Zealand maker inks deal for Colorado-based horizontal take-off spaceplane BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A New Zealand aerospace company is joining the race to create a horizontal take-off and landing spaceplane that will fly from Colorado above the earth’s atmosphere and fly back down before landing on a runway. The Colorado Air and Spaceport signed a memorandum of understanding June 15 with Dawn Aerospace from Christchurch, New Zealand. James Powell co-founder of Dawn Aerospace and who works in New Zealand, joined Adams County Manager Raymond Gonzales remotely via Zoom to sign copies of the agreement. The copies had been signed Co-founder James Powell of Dawn Aerospace in New Zealand with the model spaceplane that will be developed as a reusable horizoahead of time nal take-off and landing vehicle that will be tested and launched at Colorado Air and Spaceport. COURTESY OF DAWN AEROSPACE The new agreement will create a new purpose as the Colorado Air and Frontier Aerospace Co., developing working relationship bewteen Dawn partnership. And we are excited to a hypersonic space aircraft that will Spaceport. and the Spaceport as well as an see what the future holds.” have the capability to deliver imporAdams Deputy County Manager agreement with the Federal AviaPowell said it’s a game-changing tant packages quickly around the Jim Siedlecki said, “With such a rotion Administration to conduct test agreement for his company and for earth within the atmosphere. bust aerospace industry in Colorado flights and spaceplane launches from the entire industry. “New Frontier is specifically workthe Spaceporti in Watkins, just south“This represents a really important there was immediate interest from ing on rocket engine testing and potential partners domestically and east of Denver International Airport. step for our company and expanding controllability testing for its vehicle. across the globe.” our capability globally and leveragGonzalez praised the agreement. So, we’re very excited to have them Colorado Air and Spaceport ing the flight heritage and the devel“It truly has been a collaborative on board as well,” said Dave Ruppel, already established a relationship opments that we’ve been working on effort, and we’ve enjoyed getting to director of Colorado Air, and Spacewith PD Aerospace from Japan. It’s know this innovative company, their in New Zealand this week,” he said. port. building a By reusable horizontal takeproducts, and people,” Gonzalez said. “We do it as a paradigm shift in the county is required to follow based on the Ellis Arnold Colorado Air andlocal Spaceport is one off and landing passenger spacespaceflight industry.We think “It’s notline only partnership between A long ofacars outside the city of Brighton’s rapid testing site at that severity of a county’s virus spread. Colorado Media of the 12 FAA-licensed commercial plane that will flCommunity y above the earth’s this will enable vastly more capabilColorado Air and Spaceport and Riverdale Regional Park. The site has had to close early many days in recent atmosphere sitting in zero gravity The dial grewinout the state’s safer-atspaceports theofUnited States. Of ity in spaceflight. Bringing this to Dawn Aerospace, we have the full weeks due to Colorado high demand. 14-day test metro counties to home thehorizontal policy that came after the 12,order eight—are launchforAs upDenver to 10 minutes and, ascontinue the earth a global market is positivity importantrate for us. support of the SpaceAdams Coali- County’s facilities, and six are dual-use inch closer to fl local stay-at-home ordersin only rotates, will y back down landing the statewide stay-at-home order this it’s anHealth important strategic tion Governor’s Office was and 15.9 the percent, as of Nov. 17, of accordingWe tothink Tri-County Department. facilities, as numerous the Colorado Paris 60 to 90 minutes. That difference doingboth thathigher we canthan to Economic Development and Internaunder within Colorado’s system of coronavirusspring andsuch allowed types of Brighton and Commerce City’s test positivity ratesinwere Spaceport. The dual-use facilities potential completion is in expand this and bring this to a global project’s tional Trade. related restrictions, the state announced businesses to reopen. 13“We percent. Forty-five people in Brighton and 29 in Commerce City have are active commercial airports that 2024. audience.” look forward to furthering a new level ofEngines rules thatfrom prohibits indoor Thecompatible state recently switched operating to color diedplace frominCOVID-19 related health issues. To limit the spread of COVID-19, Reaction the United our the aerospace indushave spaceport dining and personal gatherings — a identifiers — levels blue, yellow and Kingdom is on site at Colorado Air Milestonesthat of spaceport try,” he 15 added. “Partnering with runways. at least counties moved to tighter restrictions prohibits indoor and change that applies to the majority of the and Spaceport developing a hybrid orange rather than numbered levels — to Adams County began its pursuit extraordinary companies like Dawn “I think Colorado is a unique personal gatherings. rocket engine and a hybrid or a profor a spaceport site operator license Aerospace, their type of technolplace because as the No. 2 aerospace Denver metro area and many counties in avoid confusion. Until Nov. 17, level red prietary spaceplane. They are also through the FAA office of comogy launching horizontally using a economy in the country, have other regions. meant a stay-at-home order.we Now, levela are conducting breakthrough testing typical airport runway that will open mercial space in 2011 and received tremendous part of the industry COVID-19 dial, which has red —There “severeare risk” —of is aerospace the secondon The state’s its thermal management system an operator licenseby in August 2018. up many options and opportunities here. lots Photo Belen Ward been in effect since September, is the set on the east side of the spaceport. The state renamed the sleepy Front at Colorado Air and Spaceport. We different levelstoofspaceport restrictions addition isthat Neweach Range Airport in Watkins and gave it ofAn are completely on board with this SEE SPACEPLANE, P4
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