The construction of a spaceport in northern Peru would open “immense development possibilities for the country”reported this Friday the Private Investment Promotion Agency (Proinversión), which detailed that, from this new point, rockets and spaceships will be launched for orbital and suborbital flights.
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The organization, dependent on the Ministry of Economy and Finance, explained that this infrastructure located in Talara, in the north of Peru, will allow the acquisition “enormous technical capacity, very great scientific, economic, commercial and tourist development.”
The Spaceport project is approved in the Multiannual PPP Investment Report (Imiapp) of the Ministry of Defense and the Peruvian Air Force (FAP) is evaluating whether this is the correct location, or if it will have to decide another point in the geography to make it viable.
“Peru is a privileged country due to its geographical location. Being close to the equator, the fuel savings in launching spacecraft is 30% and that saving is converted into 30% more cargo capacity in the ferries that would make these flights”, indicated Proinversión. He explained that once the location is defined, it will have to be seen if the country has the technical conditions to formulate and structure the project as a state or private initiative.
If it were the first alternative, Proinversión would sign a tripartite commissioning agreement between the Ministry of Defense, the Peruvian Air Force and this agency itself. If it were the second option, the project would be promoted so that a private party could present a proposal.
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Peru
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Meanwhile, a Commission from the United States Space Command is providing technical advice to the FAP for the proper development of the project, whose total investment is estimated at 1,000 million soles (about 270 million dollars or 253 million euros).
The Ministry of Defense indicated that the Spaceport project is intended to facilitate launches of rockets and spacecraft for orbital flights (which will orbit the earth like satellites) and suborbital (those that will transport people to other continents in less time, without ever orbiting the earth completely).
The flights will depart from platforms prepared, equipped, certified and authorized for this purpose, which will be located at the El Pato Air Base, in Talara, from where the ships will be launched into space. In addition, it will have a control center, hangars preparation, integration and validationas well as taxi and take-off runways, in a clear area away from the town.
According to the ministry, the direct beneficiaries will be both the city of Talara, due to the improvement of access roads and tourism, and the Piura region, “for being a regional space transportation hub”like the country in general.
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EFE
