Launching an idea
It's the kind of action that makes NASA's heart flutter:
The space shuttle Atlantis is heading home to Kennedy Space Center for a Wednesday landing after wrapping up a supremely successful mission to deliver a European science laboratory to the International Space Station.
Workers also bolted shuttle Endeavour to its launch pad Monday for a March 11 liftoff on another space station construction flight to begin installing a Japanese science lab.
Still, there's no escaping the 10,000-pound gorilla in the room:
The shuttle program's end is fast approaching and when it arrives in two years it could take 3,500 jobs with it.
NASA and its contractor are trying their best to stem the loss through work on the next-generation spacecraft that will return astronauts to the moon. Now, the agency is lofting another idea:
A proposal to build the first private launch complex at the spaceport that could send American astronauts and supplies to the space station on commercial rockets rather than buy those services from Russia, which NASA will have to do after the shuttles stop flying.
It's an imaginative idea that deserves serious consideration because of its potential to create jobs. It's also a promising sign that NASA is willing to think outside the box -- something that's essential in today's highly competitive global space industry.
But a sober assessment shows the plan is a long shot.
It would require the state of Florida or a private company to spend between $504 million to $590 million to build the complex -- money that's extremely hard to find and could make it a deal-killer.
The chances of funds coming from the Legislature are slim to none as lawmakers continue struggling with an economy bordering on recession and major cuts to the state budget.
Likewise, companies willing to plunk down a half-billion dollars on that kind of gamble don't grow on trees.
And that doesn't even include the long-term operating costs the state or a company would have to cover.
There may be some way for the state and a company to split the bill but that's also a very iffy proposition considering Florida -- much to its economic detriment -- has shown little interest in investing to grow new space business.
Beyond that, the two proposed sites are raising environmental concerns about their impact on the land and wildlife that have co-existed with NASA rockets for more than a half century.
NASA will hold four public hearings next week to get a better idea if the complex is worth pursuing -- two Feb. 25 at the Titusville Public Library and two Feb. 28 at the New Smyrna Beach Public Library. We encourage citizens and economic development officials to attend.
We'd also like to see Space Coast lawmakers show up, take the issue back to Tallahassee and use it as a way to at least attract attention to pro-space initiatives.
NASA pumps about $4 billion a year into Florida's economy so every effort must be made to help turn KSC into a 21st-century space hub.
A private launch complex could play a role in that effort but at this point we're hard pressed to see how the project can generate the fiscal thrust to get off the ground.