Praire chicken complicates pursuit for a spaceport license

It appears the mating rituals of the lesser prairie chicken are imposing on Midland International Airport’s pursuit of a spaceport license. After the chicken was federally listed in March, the airport submitted an addendum to its environmental assessment explaining why the spaceport wouldn’t be a threat to the now “threatened” species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, worried about sonic booms negatively impacting the small chicken’s early-morning spring mating habits, has yet to approve the addendum. But Midland Director of Airports Marv Esterly -- who offered to send biologists to Andrews County to study how the first five launches would impact the chickens -- fully expects the service to sign off and the Federal Aviation Administration to deliver a finding of “no significant impact.” After final approval of the environmental assessment, the FAA has until Sept. 15 to issue a spaceport license -- a process that has taken nearly two years. Once approved, Midland International will become the first airport in the nation to offer commercial and space flights from its runways...more