Satellites and Spacecraft Among Midland's Business Investments

The Midland Development Corp. (MDC) has invested more than $80 million in infrastructure and its assets in business parks and downtown Midland, according to Executive Director Sara Harris.

Harris keynoted an MDC seminar Thursday at the Midland Chamber of Commerce to detail how the MDC attracts and invests in new businesses, as well as creates jobs Thursday morning.

She also spoke of the growing aerospace industry in the region.

The MDC's pursuit of the aerospace sector business is "a major priority," Harris said.

"It is a tremendously fast-growing cluster, $5 billion in private investment for aerospace last year," Harris said, "that's not NASA, that's not Roscosmos, that's just private dollars."

Harris explained the city of Midland has a spaceport license for horizontal launching, while vertical launches must occur over the ocean or in drastically unpopulated areas and aren't possible in Midland. Still, the vision for the spaceport at Midland International is that spacecrafts will utilize the runways.

Two spaceport tenants are aerospace companies in Midland that Harris profiled, AST SpaceMobile and Kepler Aerospace.

About AST SpaceMobile, which manufactures satellites, Harris said, "They are in the process of manufacturing a satellite array for telecommunications. What they will provide is Internet and cellular complete access anywhere on the planet through your phone you have now through your current cellphone provider."

Kepler Aerospace is the second Midland company, which looks to upgrade aviation technology and create satellite delivery systems.

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