DATA GATHERING AND PREPARATION

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Cordelia Henry
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1 SpaceX Texas: A By Karen Chohrach for ACC GISC 2420, Professor Sean Moran, August 1, 2016 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SpaceX is a leader in the privatization of space. Where will they launch their next generation of spaceships for private citizens to explore space? The Texas Governor s Office is promoting Texas as the go-to location for such an endeavor. Multiple sites within the state are already being tested, and Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com, is testing spacecraft at a facility in far west Texas. SpaceX wishes to develop its private spaceport at Boca Chica Beach, located between South Padre Island and the mouth of the Rio Grande. QUESTIONS TO ANSWER What would a spaceport at the southern tip of Texas look like? Is the proposed SpaceX Texas at Boca Chica Beach feasible? DATA GATHERING AND PREPARATION Source data gathering began with a pre-determined study area in the form of a shapefile that I downloaded from the ACC Blackboard website. I downloaded parcels data from the Cameron Appraisal District website. To further perform the feasibility site analysis, I downloaded and used constraint data from two sources: (1) wetlands data from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW) website; (2) roads, contours, and imagery from the Texas Natural Resources Information System (TNRIS) website. I used ArcCatalog.3 to create a project geodatabase and feature datasets that facilitated the capture of the working data for the project s site analysis and environmental impact study. ANALYTICAL METHODS AND PROCESSES Using ArcMap.3, I set an appropriate coordinate system for mapping South Texas at NAD 1983 State Plane Texas South FIPS 420 (US Feet). With the data loaded, I effectively symbolized and arranged the feature datasets to create a series of six maps for this analysis. Using the satellite imagery, I digitized the footprints of all the existing buildings within the study area that could be impacted by the proposed spaceport location. I estimated that a total of 88 structures are located within the study area. Next, I created a 20 acre rectangle to represent the launch site, positioning it within the map document to be adjacent to Texas State Highway 4 and entirely within an existing parcel boundary so to minimize the impact of the surrounding wetlands (see General Location and Detail maps). Having the launch site positioned, I performed a wetlands impact analysis by examining the intersection of the launch site with its surrounding wetlands and determined that a minimum of 7.2 acres would be impacted by the optimal launch site location (see Wetlands Impact Map). Having determined the launch site location, I then located its launch pad so to position it on the far northeastern end of the launch site in an area avoiding direct wetlands contact. This pad position serves as the locus for my noise impact analysis to follow. Here, I created a multiple buffer ring representing decibel levels from a rocket launch that could be heard from one-mile increment distances moving away from the launch pad out to ten-miles. My noise impact analysis shows that no existing structures are currently located within one mile of the proposed launch pad expected to experience decibel levels in the 117 range. However, there are an estimated total of 47 out of 88 structures now located within a two-mile radius of the launch pad whose occupants would experience decibel levels in the 111 range with a rocket launch. Moving further away, there are 11 structures experiencing decibel levels in the 7 range at a three-mile radius, 7 structures in the 4 range at a four-mile radius, 8 structures in the 2 range at a five mile radius, 6 structures in the 0 range at a six mile radius, and 9 structures in the 99 decibels range at a seven-mile radius (see Noise Impact Map). Next, I created a acre rectangle to represent the control site, placing it just outside the 2 mile multiple buffer ring and also entirely within a parcel located along Texas State Highway 4 to the west of the launch site. From here, I created a power line network to supply dedicated power with a verified flow from the control site to the launch site and out to create a T just behind the dunes parallel to the Gulf. The power line runs parallel to Texas State Highway 4 at a measured 8-foot offset. The total length of the power line from the command site to the launch site and then along the beachfront is 3.42 miles. After validating the power line using a topology tool, I corrected errors along the line while noting other conditions as exceptions. The Spaceport Topology was then deleted so the Power Line feature class can participate in the geometric network and the digitized set flow direction can be set. This provides a helpful visualization of the power which is to flow from the control site to the launch site through a dedicated power line (see Spaceport Infrastructure Map). RESULTS The performed analysis shows that the control and launch facilities can fit on their proposed sites with a dedicated power line and with minimal environmental impact to the surrounding wetlands. Total wetlands coverage within the study area consists of more than 1.2 million acres, and the portion of wetlands impacted by the chosen launch site at Boca Chica Beach is just 7.2 acres or % of the total wetlands acreage under study. There is a small community consisting of 47 homes and other structures that lies almost 2 miles to the west of the proposed launch site, and these occupants would be the most severely impacted experiencing noise levels in the 111 decibels range with any rocket launch. Areas outside the study area would experience significant noise level disturbances in the 9 to 98 decibels range. However, economic gains and prosperity to the region and the state from increased tourism can be expected as the next generation of space exploration is built in South Texas. MAP SERIES Six maps are included in this report to illustrate the above discussed analysis and results. These are: General Location Map Detail Map Detail Map Spaceport Infrastructure Map Wetlands Impact Map Noise Impact Map

G ULF OF M EXICO SpaceX Texas Boca Chica Beach R io Grande General Location Map Launch Pad Wetlands NEW MEXICO OKLAHOMA 0 0. 1 Miles TEXAS 1 inch equals 0.

2 G ULF OF M EXICO SpaceX Texas Boca Chica Beach R io Grande General Location Map Launch Pad Wetlands NEW MEXICO OKLAHOMA Miles TEXAS 1 inch equals 0. miles Roads and imagery downloaded from Texas Natural Resources Information System. Wetlands downloaded from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Map created by Karen Chohrach on July 31, 2016 MEXICO Rio Gr ande ^_ GULF OF MEXICO

SpaceX Texas Detail Map Elevation Contour Launch Pad 0 20 00 Feet 1 inch equals 0.

3 SpaceX Texas Detail Map Elevation Contour Launch Pad Feet 1 inch equals 0.06 miles Roads, contours, and imagery downloaded from Texas Natural Resources Information System.

4 SpaceX Texas Detail Map Elevation Contour Roads, contours, and imagery downloaded from Texas Natural Resources Information System Feet 1 inch equals 0.06 miles

SpaceX Texas Spaceport Infrastructure Map Power Line & Flow Launch Pad 0 0.2 0.

5 SpaceX Texas Spaceport Infrastructure Map Power Line & Flow Launch Pad Miles Roads and imagery downloaded from Texas Natural Resources Information System. 1 inch equals 0.32 miles

6 SpaceX Texas Wetlands Impact Map Wetlands Launch Pad Roads and imagery downloaded from Texas Natural Resources Information System. Wetlands downloaded from United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Wetlands Impacted Feet 1 inch equals 0.06 miles

2 0. Miles 1 inch equals 0.32 miles Noise Impact Locator Noise Impact Extent.

7 SpaceX Texas Noise Impact Map Launch Pad Buildings Impacted Roads and imagery downloaded from Texas Natural Resources Information System. Noise Contours MILES Map created by Karen Chohrach on July 31, 2016 <all other values> Miles 1 inch equals 0.32 miles Noise Impact Locator Noise Impact Extent. Launch Pad Study Area Noise Contours <all other values> MILES ±. Distance Decibels (miles) (db) Miles

Analysis of Change in Land Use around Future Core Transit Corridors: Austin, TX, Eric Porter May 3, 2012

Analysis of Change in Land Use around Future Core Transit Corridors: Austin, TX, 1990-2006 PROBLEM DEFINITION Eric Porter May 3, 2012 This study examines the change in land use from 1990 to 2006 in the