For decades, the scenario was the same for Rio Grande Valley residents when it came time to make job choices after receiving their technical training and education at area colleges. The better jobs and higher pay were elsewhere. Be it at the Port of Houston or jobs at aviation manufacturing facilities in California, Valley natives searched nationwide for careers that could match their aspirations. That equation is beginning to change…
SpaceX has completed a months-long process it says shows compliance with federal requirements that would authorize the second launch of the Starship rocket. The nearly 400-foot rocket currently sits on its launch pad on the shores of Boca Chica Beach. The initial Starship launch occurred on April 20. The rocket, which is described as the largest and most powerful ever built, got off the ground in spectacular fashion. Thousands of…
The first launch of SpaceX’s Starship off Boca Chica Beach was spectacular even as it fell short of its goals and ultimately blew to pieces over the Gulf of Mexico. Some of the debris from the sky and launch pad would fall and settle over Port Isabel, causing consternation there to go with stern words from the Federal Aviation Administration. The agency said it would review safety and public health…
Elon Musk and SpaceX recently declared they were “one step closer to the first orbital flight test of Starship.” The reference was to the nearly 400-foot-tall rocket that’s perched at Starbase on Boca Chica Beach near Brownsville. The Federal Aviation Administration announced in June after a two year-study that SpaceX could expand its footprint on Boca Chica. The FAA, however, did not grant a rocket launch license. It cited 75…
The city of Brownsville for decades had a motto that was simple and got to the point about the city’s allure. “On The Border By The Sea,” was the saying often attached to city marketing and official communication. As of a few months ago, Brownsville’s signature saying was altered to reflect recent developments. “On The Border By The Sea – And Beyond!” is the new slogan. Brownsville has fallen for…
As aviation continues to grow in the Rio Grande Valley, so does the need for more mechanics and technicians. “We have had more students applying and expressing interest in the program than I have ever seen,” said Leo Guajardo, lead instructor in Texas State Technical College’s Aviation Maintenance program, which encompasses Aircraft Airframe Technology and Aircraft Powerplant Technology. Guajardo said some credit for increasing program curiosity can be given to…
A host of dignitaries celebrated the completion of STARGATE, a $2.1 million addition to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley that will enable students to learn about spacecraft design, launching and orbital operations involved with space missions. The March ribbon-cutting ceremony took place at the new building adjacent to the SpaceX Commercial Launch Facility near Boca Chica Beach. “If you go around the United States, you’ll find very few universities…