Tesla Motors Club
I doubt any of you will have heard of this and probably aren't interested, but where I live there is an international airport that is up for sale.
Manston Airport.
Google Maps
The previous owner purchased it for £1 or $1.4.
The majority of people in the area are against losing the airport, it is an asset most places don't have. One plan being pushed is for 10,000 homes to be built on it. As is the same with every green piece of land in England at the moment, particularly the South East, and locals are worried about the impact especially as there are no jobs in the area since Pfizer all but left.
Even before it was up for sale, I always thought it would be cool to have a space center in the area to generate science and engineering jobs, as well as to explore space. Especially as we have a Sea Port, currently without a ferry service
, that would allow barges to transport extremely heavy goods. We also have High Speed rail to London and are close to the Eurotunnel for links to Europe. We are surrounded by sea on 3 sides, although not much to the south. The sea is pretty shallow around the area and artificial islands could easily be made if needed for launch pads etc.
I know it is not on the shortlist for the UK Spaceport, 4 in Scotland 1 in Wales, another in Cornwall are, but I was just wondering what an outsiders view would be, as to the possibility that it could meet the criteria of a spaceport or space research center. Particularly as those of you in the USA have a lot more experience with space flight and those of you on here are interested in space exploration and may have ties with Space X or even NASA. If it met the criteria, maybe Space X would be interested in it?
Manston Airport.
Google Maps
The previous owner purchased it for £1 or $1.4.
The majority of people in the area are against losing the airport, it is an asset most places don't have. One plan being pushed is for 10,000 homes to be built on it. As is the same with every green piece of land in England at the moment, particularly the South East, and locals are worried about the impact especially as there are no jobs in the area since Pfizer all but left.
Bearing in mind it costs billions to build a new airport and acquire the land for it, it seems illogical to build houses on it.
Even before it was up for sale, I always thought it would be cool to have a space center in the area to generate science and engineering jobs, as well as to explore space. Especially as we have a Sea Port, currently without a ferry service
, that would allow barges to transport extremely heavy goods. We also have High Speed rail to London and are close to the Eurotunnel for links to Europe. We are surrounded by sea on 3 sides, although not much to the south. The sea is pretty shallow around the area and artificial islands could easily be made if needed for launch pads etc.I know it is not on the shortlist for the UK Spaceport, 4 in Scotland 1 in Wales, another in Cornwall are, but I was just wondering what an outsiders view would be, as to the possibility that it could meet the criteria of a spaceport or space research center. Particularly as those of you in the USA have a lot more experience with space flight and those of you on here are interested in space exploration and may have ties with Space X or even NASA. If it met the criteria, maybe Space X would be interested in it?