This paper describes how Space commerce may grow to partially overlap Air commerce in the 21st century, resulting in the evolution of some of America’s airports and spaceports into “aerospaceports .” Aerospaceports will play a key role in privatization and commercialization of America’s space program by establishing space transportation and associated support services as routine and accessible. Air and Space are closely related frontiers, one being an extension of the other in terms of the environment, science, engineering, government policies, and commerce. We have seen airplanes modified to fly one step further sampling the space environment; NACA transformed into NASA, a Space Wing established by the U.S. Air Force; rockets launch commercial satellites; and spaceport authorities established by state governments. Moreover, we have just recently seen the U.S. DOT’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation (OCST) merge with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Soon, we may even see an X-34 type vehicle takeoff and land at an airport. Undeniably, the space program’s evolution toward commercial enterprise is underway; however, it is still in its infancy. The development of reusable space launch ve - hicles capable of operating at America’s airports with airline-type reliability and acceptabilit y is key to the emergence of aerospaceports, in-turn allowing the development of new space-industry markets, including transportation, manufacturing, energy, mining, and even tourism
