Georgia spaceport land deal is off, site owner says

This artist's sketch provided by Spaceport Camden shows the launch pad complex of the proposed Spaceport Camden in Camden County, Ga. The National Park Service is pushing back after a U.S. government report recommended approval of a launch pad for commercial rockets on the Georgia coast, saying a chance of explosive misfires over a federally protected island popular with tourists and campers poses an “unacceptable risk.” (Spaceport Camden via AP)(WRDW)

By The Associated Press

Published: Jul. 22, 2022 at 12:22 PM EDT

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — The owner of a 4,000-acre industrial site says it has ended a longstanding agreement to sell the property to a Georgia county seeking to build a launch pad for commercial rockets.

Union Carbine Corporation said in a statement Thursday that it no longer intends to sell the coastal land to Camden County’s local government. The county has spent the past decade and more than $10 million pursuing a spaceport for launching satellites into orbit.

County officials were awarded a license by the federal government last December. But residents who feared the project posed safety and environmental risks forced a referendum in March. Voters opposed the deal by a large margin.