ABSTRACT
When considering the implications of commercial space activities on spaceport infrastructure and operations, one must take into consideration the main drivers: the launch vehicle, propellant, and payload, and all that is needed to support these elements. This chapter delves more deeply into the details of spaceport infrastructure and operational needs and the rationale and analyses that define them. Airport infrastructure, i.e. runways, taxiways, etc., varies in accordance with the type of aircraft it can safely accommodate. Similarly, spaceports will likely focus their business models on the types of vehicles, spacecraft, and payload to be accommodated. Commercial entities are using repurposed US Space Shuttle and older launch facilities at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and air force complexes around the US They are also building new private launch complexes based, in part, on lessons learned from legacy spaceports around the world.
