Andrea Seastrand: “Tomorrow I will formally introduce the National Spaceport Act, but today, I would like to take a few minutes to discuss…”

“Tomorrow I will formally introduce the National Spaceport Act, but today, I would like to take a few minutes to discuss why I believe this is a critical and important step forward for American space policy as we prepare for the 21st century. America has always been a world leader in space development, exploration, technology, and most recently commercialization. Our Nation has always understood the importance of space and has exercised bipartisan cooperation when it came to advancing space issues. This bipartisan cooperation has come from every corner of the political spectrum because of a universal recognition that space is an area of national unity and importance. I recently saw this bipartisan cooperation first hand during the deliberations over the California Spaceport and its 25-year lease with the Air Force. We are now into the next frontier of space and that is the growing commercial arena. Commercial space was once an area dominated by the United States. However, over the past few years, we have relinquished our leadership position and stood by as other nations have stepped in and vigorously embraced the vast opportunities presented by this market.”