Staff Writer
With the expected completion this summer of a new satellite tracking facility, the Loring Commerce Centre will enter the age of “space tourism.” Bigelow Aerospace, with offices in Las Vegas has demolished a building at the former Air Force base and plans to build this summer a dome-like tracking station in the nose dock area, according to Carl Flora, president of the Loring Development Authority of Maine.
The station will be one of several across the country tracking sites that will monitor commercial space trips.
Bigelow has two unmanned spacecraft, Genesis I and Genesis II, in orbit. Eventually, the company wants to progress to larger manned space facilities.
“It’s kind of interesting that we plan on having a small part in an emerging industry,” said Flora.
Loring is listed on the company’s Web site as a ground station for the company’s space flights. Similar sites are located in Alaska, Hawaii and Nevada. The Loring Web page said that a description and a map and the location would “soon” be posted, as well as updated weather information and image from an on-site camera.
The two spacecraft are testing and validating Bigelow technologies necessary to construct and deploy a full-scale, manned commercial orbital space complex.
What lured the military to Loring more than 60 years ago was the draw for Bigelow, according to Flora. The technological consideration as well as its geographical location were the considerations in the space contractor’s interest in the former base.
Flora said that Bigelow has personnel periodically here while the construction is completed. There are no employees permanently stationed on site, as yet, he said.
Bigelow officials have indicated to Loring representatives that they hope to have a human-habitable structure, known as Sundancer, in orbit by 2010 and have a commercial space complex in orbit by 2015.
Flora said that Loring officials are keeping the door open for future potential development by Bigelow, given Loring’s immense aviation and technological capabilities.
