The Midland International Air and Space Port in Texas is Open for Business and FAA Approved

The Midland International Air and Space Port in Texas is Open for Business and FAA Approved

The Spaceport Business Park is conveniently located in Midland, Texas - the heart of oil & gas country. The Midland International Air & Space Port is the first to be co-located with a major commercial airport. It is FAA approved as a Commercial Space Launch Site. The launch site is currently being used by AST & Science, a satellite testing and manufacturing company, who has recently raised $128-million in investment. Satellite technology company, Kepler Aerospace, has also located in the Spaceport Business Park and is benefiting from access to affordable space and state-of-the-art equipment.

Aerospace Sites in Texas: The Spaceport Business Park has State-of-the-Art Technology Unique to this Texas Spaceport

Sites are available within the Texas Spaceport Business Park and leasing incentives are available for qualifying companies. Those locating in the spaceport may also have access to the Midland Altitude Chamber Complex (MACC) - a world-class high-altitude test facility within the park. The MACC is owned by the Midland Development Corporation and is located in the facility subleased to Kepler Aerospace. It supports the testing and qualification of space and pressure suits, payloads, subsystems and components, as well as flight crew training operations.

With a convenient location in a thriving community, adjacency to a commercial airport, FAA approval and available space - the Midland International Air & Space Port is the ideal place to grow an aviation or aerospace company. Companies looking for aerospace sites in Texas, should come tour the Spaceport Business Park.

About the Spaceport Business Park in Texas

The Texas Spaceport Business Park, located at the Midland International Air & Space Port, is the first to be co-located with a major commercial airport. The spaceport is an FAA-approved Commercial Space Launch Site (spaceport), making it ideal for companies producing, testing, and launching satellites, for example.

The Spaceport is a Premier Site for Aerospace in Texas

Current tenants include a satellite technology company, and a company that manufactures and launches satellites. Additional sites are ready for occupancy and leasing incentives are available for qualifying companies.

Existing Tenants at the Spaceport Business Park in Texas

The Spaceport Business Park, located within the Midland International Air & Space Port, is home to growing companies in the aerospace and, specifically, the satellite industry. AST & Science is leveraging the availability of an FAA-approved Commercial Space Launch Site to launch their satellites into space. Kepler Aerospace is a satellite technology company benefiting from the park’s ecosystem and access to high-tech amenities and testing facilities. 

Aerospace in Texas: Businesses are Leveraging the Access & Tools Provided by the Spaceport Business Park

Learn more about these growing companies and contact us to discover how locating in the Spaceport Business Park in Texas could benefit yours. 

AST & Science

In late 2018, the MDC partnered with AST & Science to bring their corporate headquarters and satellite manufacturing facility to the MDC’s 85,000-square-foot facility at the Spaceport Business Park. 

AST & Science is building the first and only cellular broadband network to be broadcast from space and accessible by standard smartphones. Called SpaceMobile, this innovative network will eliminate the connectivity gaps faced by today’s five billion mobile subscribers and finally bring broadband to the billions who remain unconnected.

Patented low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, integral to SpaceMobile, are being designed and manufactured at the Midland facility, as part of the company’s transformational technology. 

Chairman and CEO Abel Avellan said of their Midland location, “From Midland, we will scale up quickly to produce high volumes of low-cost, ultra-powerful LEO satellite platforms.” 

In early 2020, AST & Science announced Rakuten and Vodafone as strategic investors, bringing total capital raised to $128M. This “NewSpace” venture will extend mobile coverage to ​​​​​​​more people and devices, providing connectivity at 4G/5G speeds everywhere on the planet – on land, at sea and in flight.

Kepler Aerospace

Employing advanced aviation technologies, Kepler Aerospace (Kepler) is developing efficient and economically viable satellite delivery systems. They possess technologies in the fields ​​​​​​​of microwave, propulsion and energy and have recently filed for eight trademarks in both the flight and defense use categories. Kepler is developing and commercializing proprietary plasma (high-energy electrical power) technology to generate propulsion, thrust, lift and flight. They have also developed other proprietary propulsion, energy and microwave burst technologies that can be used in several configurations and are currently being developed as technologies to be marketed to the military and defense industries. They are leasing a facility in the Spaceport Business Park that ​​​​​​​is 16,925 square feet and benefiting from the park’s access to high-tech amenities and testing facilities. 

Leasing Information for the Spaceport Business Park

Existing commercial space and shovel-ready sites are available in the Spaceport Business Park. The Midland Development Corporation can negotiate space and lease terms mutually beneficial to the aerospace companies in Texas and the community. Adjacent industries are also welcome if they are interested in locating near a Spaceport in Texas. For more information on available sites and terms, please contact MDC staff.

Midland Development Corporation
200 North Loraine Street, Suite 610
Midland, Texas 79701
Tel: 432.686.3579
www.midlandtxedc.com 

Why Midland for Aerospace in Texas

Midland, Texas, in the heart of oil & gas country - is a place that has grown exponentially, leveraging the profits from a thriving energy sector to diversify its economy. These investments have made it possible to develop the country’s first spaceport co-located with a major commercial airport. Midland’s Spaceport Business Park is an FAA-approved commercial space launch site and convenient for companies designing, manufacturing, testing, and launching. In addition, the Midland Altitude Chamber Complex is unique to Midland and an incredible resource for testing, simulating and training flight crews. 

Midland is Convenient for Aerospace in Texas

Midland itself is strategically located and within hours of the New Mexico border, El Paso, San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas, Texas. Houston, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Tucson, Sante Fe, Shreveport, and Little Rock are all within a day's drive. The region is known for its robust infrastructure, which includes access to interstate, rail, and air transportation. 

From a workforce perspective, Midland has nearly twice the national average for engineers in the workforce. The community is #3 in the nation for fastest growing metros and attracting talent from throughout the country.

Why Choose the Spaceport Business Park in Texas

• FAA Approved Commercial Space Launch Site (spaceport)
• The first U.S. commercial spaceport to be co-located with a major commercial airport
• Available sites allow commercial space companies an economical venue for testing, production and launch operations
• Opportunities for commercial development
• The MDC can provide active business support for diversified companies
• Favorable regulatory environment
• The Midland Altitude Chamber Complex (MACC) provides higher education R&D opportunities
• Aerospace companies work closely with local school districts to focus on STEM fields

Midland Airport & the Spaceport Business Park in Texas

The Spaceport Business Park in Texas is the first in the country to be co-located with a major commercial airport. Access to Midland Airport and the FAA-certified commercial launch site is ideal for companies manufacturing and testing new technologies. 

Midland Commercial Airport Supports the Aerospace Industry in Texas

• Approximately 1,680-acre property located in Midland County, Texas, and owned by the City of Midland.
• MAF is classified by the FAA as a commercial primary small-hub airport and is certified under Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 139.
• Certified by the FAA under the Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 420 as a spaceport.
• MAF supports three airlines: American Eagle, Southwest Airlines, and United Express.
• More than 20 daily flight departures with non-stop service to Dallas Fort Worth, Dallas Love Field, Houston Intercontinental, Houston Hobby, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Denver.
• Adjacent to the Midland metropolitan area with a wide variety of quality lodging, restaurants and entertainment.
• Six rental car facilities.
• One fixed base operator (FBO), Landmark Aviation; two maintenance operators, Skywest Aviation, and Deer Horn Aviation Maintenance, Paint & Interior; Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) services; Transportation Security Administration; FAA facilities; and hangars for general aviation aircraft.
• Foreign Trade Zone #165 is located at MAF which is designated as a Port of Entry and has a U.S. Customs Office.

Specifications

• Located at approximately 31 degrees, 56 minutes north latitude and 102 degrees, 12 minutes west longitude.
• Elevation of 2,871 feet above sea level.
• The MAF property contains four runways and associated taxiways.
• 9500’ x 150’ runway, 16R/34L capable of wide body takeoffs and landings.
• Runway 4/22 spans 4,605-feet
• Runway 10/28 spans 8,302-feet
• Runway 16L/34R spans 4,247- feet
• Runway 16R/34L spans 9,501-feet
• Non-congested airspace and modern, spacious terminal with no flight/noise restrictions or imposed curfews.
• Progressive management approach to maintaining and improving infrastructure.

Maps of the Spaceport in Texas

Contact Us

The Midland Development Corporation is at the forefront of economic development activities in our area. Our staff is here to assist you, your business, and your family. We are a resource that can help you to identify opportunities, find a new home for your business, and locate available financial incentives. Our team also connects families who are interested in relocating with information about living and working in Midland.

Contact us to explore the many opportunities Midland can offer you.

MDC Offices
200 N. Loraine St., Ste. 610
Midland, Texas 79701
432-686-3579 

Contact our staff directly here.