Virgin Galactic is partnering with Italy’s Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) to study whether it could launch from Grottaglie Spaceport in Puglia, Italy, Virgin CEO Michael Colglazier announced Thursday at the Italian Embassy.
The aim is for the Grottaglie Spaceport to serve as a Mediterranean homebase for Virgin’s suborbital commercial and scientific crewed spaceflight, which has been on pause while the company works on its new space tourism vehicle.
“When Virgin Galactic fully utilizes the spaceport, we expect our next generation vehicles will fly to space between 250 and 300 times a year, supporting over 1,500 scientists, government researchers, and private citizens traveling this space annually,” said Coleglazier at Space Day. “When that volume of space travel happens, a spaceport becomes a truly amazing place.”
Two Phase Plan: The first phase of the study, which will be completed next year, will consider whether Grottaglie’s airspace could host Virgin Galactic’s suborbital flights, as well as Italy’s regulatory requirements, available facilities, and the stability of the supply chain.
Assuming the company finds that the spaceport will suit its needs in those areas, a second phase of the study would look at the workforce that would be required for the missions, as well as how the region could benefit economically from ramping up spaceflight.
“It’s our priority that any expansion into Italy not only be technically feasible, but beneficial to the local community as well,” Colglazier said. “We will work closely with local authorities, businesses, and educational institutions in the region to ensure that the community feels the positive impact of our operations and the people we will bring to the spaceport.”
Lift-off for Southern Italy: In 2018, Grottaglie was designated a commercial spaceport by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, becoming the first horizontal spaceport in Italy.
Puglia is already taking advantage of the opportunity, investing heavily in the spaceport’s development. Grottaglie recently received €70M ($73.3M) from the Puglia region and the Italian government for infrastructure development.
“Our government is very concentrated on the space economy. This project is witnessing the aim and commitment we have to the space economy,” Matteo Zoppas, President of the Italian Trade Agency, said.
