State lawmaker sponsoring bill to see if Utah could be more involved in outer space

SALT LAKE CITY — The Beehive State could one day be even more involved in the space industry.

State Sen. Jerry Stevenson, R-Layton, is sponsoring a bill that would establish a Spaceport Exploration Committee.

That committee would seek out a potential spot for a spaceport in the state and recommend it to lawmakers if they felt it made sense for Utah, according to the current bill text. 

Stevenson told KSL NewsRadio with Utah’s current resources for a potential leap to the space launches, like the state’s military bases and the West Desert, “It just seemed like kind of a natural place for us to take a step.”

Stevenson also noted Utah’s current role in space exploration, including most recently in September 2023 when NASA’s OSIRIS-REx capsule, containing material from an asteroid, ended its seven-year journey with a touchdown on the Utah Test and Training Range in the West Desert.

However, Stevenson said he doesn’t see Utah replacing Cape Canaveral or another major player in the space industry. Rather, he feels Utah has the space and the resources to launch satellites or other things from a large aircraft or maybe even a medium-sized rocket.

As to where this spaceport could be, “It could be at any airport that has the capability of… moving a larger airplane into the air,” Stevenson said.

Stevenson said the goal of this legislation is to create good jobs for Utahns. If the bill passes and Utah did one day have a spaceport, he feels that would accomplish the goal.

“Whoever thought we’d be where we are with this stuff now 30 years ago?” Stevenson said.

The bill is seeking $500,000 in one-time funding from the Legislature. If passed, it would take effect on May 7 of this year.

More on the upcoming legislative session:

• Proposed bill will target aggressive motorcycle driving
• Daylight saving time under fire again in Utah Legislature
• Utah lawmaker wants to add PDCD test to newborn screening program

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