Team here to check proposed rocket launch site
THREE members of the Beal Aerospace Technologies firm from Texas arrived here last night to tour a potential rocket launch site in the North West district. The Chronicle understands they will be making a presentation to Cabinet at its regular session today before flying over the site. Tomorrow, the three, including an engineer, will be doing a ground tour, moving inland for about 150 miles along the Waini River, checking a suitable site for launching rockets. The firm believes Guyana's unique geographic setting is suitable for a rocket launch site. Those arriving here last night were Mr. Wade Gates, Director of Corporate Affairs; Mr. Mark Mc Leod, Director of Special Projects and Mr. David Spoede, Director of Government Relations. Shortly after arriving at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri, Gates said the company has been exploring throughout South America and the Caribbean for the perfect site. Guyana has a lot of natural advantages which is in their favour, he said, adding that the geography of the country is ideal for the venture. Gates said the company's primary focus is launching commercial satellites. The firm is working on a launch site on Sombrero Island, a remote island about 35 miles off the coast of Anguilla, from which its first launch is set for October next year. That site investment, Gates said, has been pursued by the company for well over a year, but they are looking for a backup site and the possibility of a replacement later. The development of such infrastructure, while not requiring many buildings, would need a launch pad, a launch control building, a vehicle assembly building, processing area, an airstrip and access to a waterway to enable offloading of components from barge. "We need a fairly large area, remote, with a suitable buffer and safety zone", Gates told the Chronicle. That initial safety buffer should be about five miles since there is need to be as far away from communities as possible, he added. Gates, who explained that satellites are launched in a fan direction - all the way to the east and to the north - said it is preferable to launch over open water for greater safety. South America has the unique feature for such operations, he said, adding that from the east, rockets can go all the way to Africa and north to Nova Scotia. With the Guyana scenario, Gates said, one facility can be developed for commercial launches, adding clients can bring their satellites here and launch to any orbit. Employment can be generated for 500 persons in construction jobs to help build the facility, and a further 200 in the long-term. The company in August 1997 expressed an interest in Guyana and last month officials returned here for a visit to the proposed site. Beal Aerospace was founded by Andrew Beal, who the firm says, decided to "go it alone", after talks with other parties, and develop a totally new rocket and related manufacturing and launch facilities. Beal's preliminary design concept was to build a rocket weighing one million pounds or more at liftoff, capable of delivering at least 15,000 pounds to low earth orbit, the company says. In background outline, it said a new aerospace company had to be created that included a totally new rocket design team, a new vertically integrated manufacturing team, and a new launch facilities team. "A new factory would be built to build the rockets and new launch pads would be built from which to launch them. "In a major departure from current industry practice, all major components would be produced `in house'. "Beal Aerospace Technologies, Inc. was formally incorporated early in 1997 for the sole purpose of fulfilling these requirements. A phenomenal team of about 175 professionals has been brought together from across the country and this team continues to grow rapidly", the firm says. According to Beal Aerospace, senior engineers from virtually every major U.S. aerospace company "have come to join this revolutionary effort. "These talented professionals have worked on virtually every U.S. launch vehicle operated over the past two decades. This complex, multi-faceted project is proceeding full steam ahead, and first launch is projected for the year 2000."
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