Discover how spaceports are becoming the next major global infrastructure—from commercial launches to future point-to-point space travel. Dr. George Nield reveals the technologies, opportunities, and careers shaping the new space economy.
Susan Wise: Welcome to Stars Launch Pod, Space Technology and Research Sciences, brought to you by StarSciences.org—where we connect, collaborate, and accelerate. I’m your host, Susan Wise, and I’m thrilled to have with us today Dr. George Nield, Chairman of the Global Spaceport Alliance—the voice of the growing global spaceport community. He has over 35 years of aerospace experience in the Air Force, at NASA, and in private industry.
Dr. Nield, thank you so much for joining us today.
Dr. George C. Nield: Thank you. It’s my pleasure to be here.
Susan Wise: I’d like to hear a little more about you—what you’re doing now to help further the space industry, and more about your organization.
Dr. George C. Nield: I’ve been interested in space my whole life. As you mentioned, I served as a flight test engineer in the Air Force, worked on the Space Shuttle program at NASA, spent a few years in industry, and then led the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation for a number of years. All of that was very exciting.
After I retired from the government, I decided it wasn’t the right time to just sit back and read a book. There was too much happening in the space world. One of the things I’m doing now is chairing the Global Spaceport Alliance. It was established in 2015, and the goal is to develop a network of spaceports around the world—both to ensure access to space for all users and to facilitate the continued growth of the global space economy. Right now, we have 104 members in 16 countries across six continents. It’s very exciting, and we’re seeing a lot of interest in what we’re doing.
Susan Wise: What exactly does a spaceport look like? Is this just a virtual group, or is it an actual port?
Dr. George C. Nield: There are certainly analogies to seaports and airports, but we like to think more broadly about what a spaceport can be. Usually, there’s the capability to launch rockets vertically or horizontally, but there can also be many other types of activity. A spaceport can help bring together the community, industry, and academia so they can all engage in the exciting things happening in space.
Susan Wise: Could a spaceport go alongside a regular airport? Or does it have to be separate?
Dr. George C. Nield: Great question. It depends on the type of operations. Traditionally, rocket launches have taken place far from the general public—over the ocean or in the desert—in case something goes wrong. But today, with reusable launch vehicles that are becoming safer and more reliable, the goal is to get closer to the action so they can be used for transportation and integrated with aircraft and other airspace users.
Susan Wise: It really is the next thing. This industry is moving so fast and becoming so popular. During this journey—or even further back—what was one of your big “aha” moments?
Dr. George C. Nield: I’ve had several, but one of the more recent ones is rethinking what a spaceport really is. The “aha” is that a spaceport doesn’t have to be just a place where rockets launch. It can also host manufacturing, testing, research and development, education and training, workforce development, and eventually point-to-point transportation through space.
With all of that, there’s an opportunity for many locations to become spaceports. We currently have 14 FAA-licensed spaceports in the U.S., but many more would like to become one. Compare that to 20,000 airports across the country, and you can imagine the number of spaceports growing significantly as space activity increases.
Susan Wise: Just like we have air traffic control, we’re going to have spaceport traffic.
Dr. George C. Nield: I think so—yes.
Susan Wise: That involves a lot of growth and opportunity, and it’s definitely needed. What has been one of your biggest challenges, and how did you overcome it?
Dr. George C. Nield: If you think back to the beginning of the space age, after the Soviet Union launched Yuri Gagarin into space, almost everything we’ve done in space—especially the historic achievements—has been done by the government: the X-15 program, Project Mercury, Project Gemini, the Apollo Moon landings, building and operating the International Space Station, and 30 years of flying the Space Shuttle. Government has historically been responsible for what happens in space.
But that’s not necessarily the case going forward. Private industry is playing an increasingly important role, and not everyone has realized that yet. It’s very exciting. Industry involvement can lead to lower costs, more innovation, more willingness to take calculated risks—not safety risks, but trying new approaches. It opens doors for new products, new customers, new markets. That’s what business does.
And then there’s funding. Instead of relying solely on congressional appropriations, we can tap into investment and commercial revenue. That’s essential for the growth we’re heading toward.
Susan Wise: I agree. And we can get creative with funding. I mean, imagine putting the Pepsi logo on the side of a rocket—people would pay big money for that!
Dr. George C. Nield: That’s true—and advertising is one of the first things people think of. But it goes beyond that. Companies will have their own reasons for going to space—manufacturing, offering hotel-like facilities in orbit, scientific research, and more. We don’t always have to wait for permission or funding from the government.
As a simple example, three companies are currently building and flying spacecraft designed to carry people into space: SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, and Blue Origin. And several others are working on it.
Susan Wise: And we’ve seen famous people hop on board and gain a lot of PR and attention from it. I think that’s great if it helps spread the word and support the journey. Do you have any advice you’d like to share with our listeners?
Dr. George C. Nield: One thing we in aerospace haven’t done as well as we could is explain all the opportunities to get involved in space. People often say, “I’m not good at math—I’m not a rocket scientist—so I can’t be involved.”
Going forward, we’re going to need many types of people: test pilots, scientists, engineers, doctors—yes—but also technicians, welders, software programmers, broadcasters, and maybe even Uber drivers on the Moon. We’ll need chefs, hotel managers—almost every vocation you can imagine for large space stations or bases on the Moon and Mars.
My advice: if you have a passion for space, there is a place for you in our future. Keep your dreams alive.
Susan Wise: I truly believe that. And yes—the list is expansive. We have to grow food, ensure clean water, and learn to take care of ourselves in space. There are endless opportunities. It’s wonderful that the word is getting out and people are becoming more involved.
Before we wrap up, do you have a passion project you’d like to mention?
Dr. George C. Nield: I do. I mentioned it briefly—but something I’m very excited about is point-to-point transportation. We’re talking about flying from one point on Earth to the opposite side in just an hour or two. The technology is almost there, so now is the time to think about laws, policies, and regulations so it can happen.
Imagine the benefits: responding to humanitarian crises, natural disasters, medical emergencies, or delivering critical parts to a factory losing a million dollars a day. And on a personal level—enabling people to visit friends and relatives and to experience other cultures.
I recently traveled to Sydney, Australia for a space meeting. It took 20 hours on a plane. Doing that in a couple of hours would be incredible.
Susan Wise: That technology can’t come fast enough. We needed that yesterday! I think it’s a great passion project, and I believe it will come to fruition quickly. I have high hopes.
Well, Dr. Nield, thank you so much for joining us today on Launch Pod. I’d love to have you back again to hear how things are progressing.
Dr. George C. Nield: Sounds great. Let’s keep in touch.
Susan Wise: Will do. Be sure to join us—where we connect, collaborate, and accelerate.
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