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Plans To Bring A Spaceport To Colorado Are Moving Ahead

DENVER (CBS4) - A bill that would help make Colorado a leader in space travel is moving through the legislature.

On Tuesday the Senate approved a bill that would limit liability to any company operating spaceflights out of Colorado.

Dennis Heap, the manager at Front Range Airport, says the bill is key to space travel so companies would be willing to invest without worry of major lawsuits. The airport is already working on a program to put sub-orbital planes on the edge of space.

A spaceport is similar to an airport but would allow travelers to get to their destination by flying just outside of the earth's atmosphere.

"It's going to be basically an airport style delivery system in the future that's going to deliver commercial point to point travel," Heap said.

A similar program and spaceport is already in the works in New Mexico.

"What we're looking at is horizontal launch with space vehicles. In other words, not conventional aircraft like what we're used to now," Heap said.

Lawmakers say space travel could bring much needed jobs to the state.

"We need two things. We need to be licensed to be designated as a spaceport and we need limited liability shielding," Heap said.

The state is also working on getting a special space travel license from the Federal Aviation Administration.

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