AUGUSTA, Maine — Editor's note: The video above aired Feb. 8, 2022.
The Maine Legislature has approved a proposal to create a public-private partnership to help grow the state's aerospace industry.
The Maine Senate enacted the proposal to create the Maine Space Corporation on Monday. Supporters of the idea said they envision the corporation as a central hub for innovation and economic development in the state's air and space industry.
Members of the air and space industry have taken an interest in Maine in recent years, in part because it is home to the former Loring Air Force Base and Brunswick Landing. The state's geography and existing infrastructure make it a candidate to serve as a site for small launches, industry members have said.
Terry Shehata, a representative for the Maine Space Grant Consortium, testified in favor of the creation of the corporation. He said the effort is about not just launching small satellites but about “engaging students, researchers, businesses, state and local governments, and communities across the three segments of the new space economy value chain and the underlying infrastructure needed to support these segments.”
The proposal must still be signed by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills.