Sierra Vista is seeking approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to allow spacecraft to land in the city, but city officials say their application has been delayed.
The city applied for an FAA Part 433 license to operate a spaceport reentry site where returning spacecraft would land.
The Sierra Vista Municipal Airport, which is also known as Libby Army Airfield, is a joint-use military-civilian airport, which has a runway long enough for “any aircraft or spacecraft” to use, according to the city.
Tony Boone is Sierra Vista’s director of tourism and economic development.
“We have access to the 12,001-foot runway,” Boone said. “So technically speaking, with the right support vehicles and things that we could bring in, we could do a reentry next week.”
The city completed a study in 2024, which found its facilities could feasibly serve as a space reentry port, Boone said.
“To do a reentry of a spaceplane landing on our airfield, you know, there's no specific infrastructure required,” Boone said.
Boone said the city’s application was delayed so the FAA Commercial Space Transportation office could prioritize other spaceports with imminent launches or reentries.
“We are not the only one that they're doing that due to lack of resources on their end.”
But Boone said this is not deterring the city’s pursuit for a spaceport.
He said the delay gives them time to complete necessary application requirements, complete administrative work with the Arizona Space Commission and continue building relationships with companies like SpaceX and Blackstar.
Boone said once the application is complete, the process for approval usually takes around 18 months.
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