FAQs About the Midland International Air and Space Port

A spaceport is a site dedicated to launching and receiving aircraft. The Midland International Air & Space Port has a horizontal launch license which can be utilized for point-to-point flight and hypersonic flight. seeks to provide opportunities for both the aerospace and defense industries through the availability and use of Midland’s horizontal launch license, open land, and airspace. 

The Midland International Air & Space Port is located in Midland, Texas. The main airport terminal is where commercial air services take place while to the east is the Midland Spaceport. The Midland Spaceport Business Park is home to aerospace and defense companies along with available space for future tenants. 

Any launches that take place in Midland, Texas are completed safely at the Midland International Air & Space Port with a horizontal launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The Midland Spaceport is located in the heart of the oil and gas industry where similar activity is happening 24/7.  

Similar to traditional airplane take-offs, vehicles utilizing the Midland Air & Space Port will use the runway to take off but will then use rocket boosters to reach suborbital flights. Landing the vehicle will require the vehicle to come out of suborbital flight and land on the runway.

No. The Midland International Air & Space Port holds a horizontal launch license meaning that any vehicles taking off from Midland will do so horizontally. 

The Midland Development Corporation and the MITRE Corporation have worked together to establish a set of studies for horizontal launches in Midland and hypersonic flight corridors between the Midland International Air & Space Port and Spaceport America in New Mexico.

The spirit of Midland has always been full of innovation from the early days of wildcatting to the present day where our community is full of entrepreneurs and local businesses. The Midland Spaceport fits in perfectly as the industry itself is based on innovation and taking risks.

From a location standpoint, Midland is located in West Texas where you will find wide, open spaces. These spaces are ideal for aerospace and defense companies who are looking for testing and flight opportunities. Our community is eager to fast-track the plans of these businesses and get them open for business. 

Tours at the Midland Spaceport Business Park are privately arranged with individual companies and individuals at this point in time. We welcome you to join us at the City of Midland’s annual Fly Into Fall event where the Midland International Air & Space Port will be present to provide information on our activities. 

Many years ago, local leaders saw the opportunity to begin investing in the aerospace industry. Our community has seen the economic benefits of the oil and gas industry for decades and our local economy could be diversified to continue growing it while also offering other opportunities for Midlanders. The Midland Spaceport and the businesses that are here will drive job creation and foster innovation while acting as a hub for research and development.

Midland International Air & Space Port (MAF) is the first primary commercial service airport to receive a Spaceport Launch Site Operator License. "Horizontal launch" means spacecraft take off and land like traditional airplanes using MAF’s existing runways, rather than launching vertically from a pad. This makes this site ideal for suborbital research, satellite deployment, and aerospace testing.

The 377-acre park offers shovel-ready lots with high-capacity utilities. Key assets include the Midland Altitude Chamber Complex (MACC)—a world-class facility for testing pressure suits and aerospace equipment—and dedicated hangar space for R&D.

Midland’s aerospace advantages are three-fold. Midland International Air & Space Port is the first primary commercial airport to be co-located with an FAA-approved spaceport. The Midland Altitude Chamber Complex allows for critical testing of aerospace systems and pilot gear. And Midland provides uncrowded air corridors and 377 acres of shovel-ready land at the Spaceport Business Park for testing, manufacturing, and R&D.