MIDLAND, Texas — Midland has one of just two FAA licensed spaceports in the State of Texas, and there is a primary focus right now on continuing to utilize it. On Thursday, the Midland Development Corporation announced a partnership with The MITRE Corporation that aims to advance the future of air travel.
That future would be point-to-point high-speed air transportation. What exactly that looks like is still to be determined, but with Midland a feasible location for that type of corridor, coordination and innovation will be at the forefront in developing this opportunity.
“This is a very exciting time for aviation," said Prakash Subramanian, Managing Director for Advanced Transportation Operations at The MITRE Corporation.
Our skies could add more traffic moving forward and Midland might be the catalyst for that reality.
“Midland is actually quite unique from a geographical perspective and is really pioneering a lot of innovation in this high-speed air transportation, which is that next level of mobility that’s going to make the world such a smaller place relative to how it is now," Subramanian said.
The MITRE Corporation is a technology company set to work with the Midland Development Corporation in these efforts, says MDC Executive Director Sara Harris.
“The next steps are actually partnering with companies that would need to use those corridors, and looking at the vehicles or aircraft that would utilize those," Harris said. "So, on a case-by-case basis. And that’s something that MITRE can assist with, as well as just looking at an overall network of spaceport connectivity.”
Spaceport connectivity here looks promising.
“Midland is at the center of a hub of spaceports, so it’s very well positioned to be part of that point-to-point activity," Harris said.
A partnership like this can make Midland’s aerospace industry even more attractive.
“We have active aerospace industry here now, and we’re seeing an increased level of interest in companies coming to Midland or expanding their activities," Harris said. "So, for the future of Midland long-term, I would say it’s of incredible significance.”
As a focus on aerospace and spaceport development strengthens in Midland, perhaps the sky is not the limit.
“We’re very enthusiastic about the kinds of leading investments and the direction that this corporation and Midland in general is trying to go in," Subramanian said. "[It] is very in alignment with how we see us -- enabling us as a nation -- to continue to progress in especially the transportation air travel sector.”
Subramanian mentioned that Midland's spaceport provides a unique facility to be able to take research that is done in the lab and test it live at scale. Harris added that no funding language or scopes of work have been made yet, but that there will be a high amount of collaboration to make sure the corridor is used correctly.