According to opponents of a bill to encourage the development of a Maine aerospace industry, it would be detrimental for the state’s environment as well as do little to help its economy.
The measure, LD1923, would offer technical support and attempt to get the state government to back a bid to find a suitable site for rocket launching.
Opponents, including Lisa Savage, a former Independent U.S. Senate candidate, claim the bill and the idea of Maine being a rocket launch location are bad ideas.
Savage claims that rocketry is a threat to the environment. She said that rocket launches from other locations have been very harmful to wildlife and killed many birds.
Savage says that rocket launches, which release exhaust into the atmosphere, “always contributes to climate crisis.” Rockets that reach high enough heights can punch holes in the ozone layer. This layer was just beginning to be repaired.
Savage said she doubts that a space industry will generate many jobs and it could harm Maine’s reputation as a vacation destination where “you can enjoy pristine waters, good air quality, and beautiful wildlife.”
The bill also received a warm response from blu Shift, a Brunswick-based company that develops rockets that use a solid, bioderived fuel.
Sascha Deri, chief executive of blu Shift, stated that his company is looking for a launch location on its own and would prefer the state not duplicate these efforts.
Savage also expressed dissatisfaction with the passage of the legislation regarding the Maine Space Corporation through the legislature. She claims there was not enough notice for a public hearing and that the committee voted to recommend the bill’s passage subject to two amendments that have not been written.
