Measure Intended To Further Expand The State's Competitiveness In The Aerospace Industry

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a bill into law Thursday he says will position Colorado to capitalize on significant new opportunities in commercial space transportation. Gov. Hickenlooper signed Senate Bill 35 during an industry luncheon at the 28th National Space Symposium in Colorado Springs. The law limits liability for companies that would operate space flights from the proposed Spaceport Colorado. 

"Commercial space offers a wealth of opportunities and Colorado intends to be at the forefront of the industry," said Hickenlooper. "The signing of this bill represents our collective next step as a state to testing the limits of space."

While the bill is a big step for Colorado, the state has already made giant leaps to expand its aerospace economy with private sector leaders pushing forward on commercial development in space exploration. In fact, in the past year, according to the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation's (Metro Denver EDC) annual Industry Cluster Study, Colorado leaped forward to rank as the number two aerospace state for private sector employment, overtaking Florida. "While other states have experienced job losses in recent years, our aerospace industry remains one of the strongest pillars of the Colorado and U.S. economy," said Tom Clark, CEO of the Metro Denver EDC. "Not only does Colorado rank first in the United States for its high concentration of private aerospace jobs, but since 2006, aerospace employment in Colorado has grown 6.9 percent."

In addition to Colorado's efforts to pursue spaceport status, statewide industry stakeholders are also actively working to expand Colorado's reach in unmanned aerial systems (UAS) research and development. With its variety of airspace, environmental conditions, and terrain, Colorado provides an ideal location for federal, state, and private UAS operations.

"It truly should come as no surprise that our state can deliver the innovation, expertise, and collaboration needed to support and grow the aerospace industry," Colorado Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia explained. "Not only do we have the nation's second most highly educated workforce, but Colorado's research universities are at the forefront of space innovation and training the next generation of aerospace workers."

FMI: www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/GovHickenlooper/CBON/1249674240538