Sun, May 30, 2010
$500,000 Available To be Awarded This Fiscal Year
If you've
been mulling over some great ideas about how to help facilitate
commercial space flight, there is federal money available for the
first time to start putting those plans into place, if you're
willing to jump through a few hoops to get it. The FAA has
published in the Federal Register a request for grant proposals in
an effort to begin beefing up the infrastructure that will support
commercial space flight. Grant proposals for technical and
environmental studies; construction, improvement, and design and
engineering of space transportation infrastructure, including
facilities and associated equipment; and real property to meet the
needs of the United States commercial space transportation
industry, will be considered.
The program has an initial appropriation of $500,000 to be used
for space transportation infrastructure projects. The FAA says it
hopes to award the appropriated funds before the end of fiscal year
2010. To that end, the FAA will review and evaluate all
applications for a grant under 49 U.S.C. chapter 703 (Chapter 703),
and may make one or more grant awards based upon its evaluations of
the grant proposals. All grants awarded under this program are
discretionary awards.
Given that the FAA may award multiple grants, the grant
proposals may include multiple or alternative funding proposals for
financing the proposed project. The grant proposal should also
indicate how applicable environmental requirements were or will be
satisfied, and applicants may submit multiple grant proposals.
Although the Congressional authorization has been in effect for
some time, FY 2010 is the first year Federal funds have been
appropriated. Grant applications are due on or before July 6, 2010,
and the FAA hopes to turn the applications around quickly, with
money going to recipients by August 31. The FAA says the
Commercial Space Transportation Grant Assurances should be similar
in nature and purpose to those required under the Airport
Improvement Program
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