Could Louisiana be poised to become the next space flight hub?
That's the apparent goal of recently-passed legislation, passed just in time for a major player in the space launch industry to go public.
Days after SpaceX began trading on the NASDAQ, the company is worth $2.5 trillion, and some reports indicate the company's launch schedule is so backed up that it might be looking to expand.
Enter Louisiana, which just passed into law a package of incentives meant to lure the private space flight industry to the Pelican State.
UNO Business professor Mark Rosa says Louisiana's coast could be a good spot.
"For launch, you generally have to get as close to the equator as possible," he said, making Louisiana's Gulf coast a better spot than Vandenberg Air Force base northwest of Los Angeles, one of SpaceX's current launch sites.
The company also has a launch center in Brownsville, Texas, and Louisiana could also be a spot for SpaceX to dock the barges that recover its boosters.
Rosa says any investment by a space flight company would be significant, bringing in more than just engineers and astrophysicists.
"You have just such a plethora of people who have to be there, of all stripes, to support such a facility," he said.
Bills lawmakers passed include not only tax incentives but also immunity from certain lawsuits.
