KINCHELOE, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — The former home of an Air Force base in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has been chosen as part of an ambitious plan to make the state a major player in the aerospace industry.
The Detroit Free Press reports the Chippewa County International Airport, near Sault Ste. Marie, was selected by Michigan’s Launch Initiative program Thursday to be the location of a command and control center. It was home to the former Kincheloe Air Force Base until it closed in 1977. Earlier, an area near Marquette along Lake Superior was selected for vertical launches of satellites. Horizontal launches would be at Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport.
The program could generate 40,000 jobs, directly and indirectly, if everything comes together as planned. The Michigan Aerospace Manufacturers Association has taken the lead advocating for the project. Backers say the command center itself could employ up to 100 people. If the project raises the required money and gets needed approvals, the command center could initiate operations in June 2023.
Target dates for launches include August 2023 for the horizontal site and August 2025 for the vertical site.
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