bluShift faces setback in Jonesport, keeps lift-off options open at other sites
Courtesy / bluShift Aerospace
Earlier this year, bluShift Aerospace became the first company to successfully launch a commercial rocket powered by bio-derived fuel. The rocket blasted off from the former Loring Air Force base in Limestone.
Brunswick rocket-maker bluShift Aerospace suffered a setback this week when Jonesport residents voted to put a six-month moratorium on aerospace activities. But the startup said it was looking at other towns as sites for planned commercial lift-offs.
At a special town meeting Wednesday, Jonesport residents voted 60-4 to enact the moratorium in order to gain time for creating an ordinance on such launches.
bluShift CEO Sascha Deri said he was in full support of the moratorium, adding that it gives the town and the company time to continue talking about rules that protect the interests of both.
“We want to be respectful of folks making a living off the sea. We want to be in harmony with the town. We want to be deliberate in understanding their concerns and addressing any questions,” Deri told Mainebiz.
bluShift, based at Brunswick Landing, is developing a line of eco-friendly rockets to provide affordable, sustainable space launch services. The company is targeting universities, corporations and federal agencies that want to launch nanosatellites as far as 400 miles above the Earth.
Chief among Jonesport residents' concerns is that bluShift’s rocket launches would interfere with lobster fishing, which Jonesport Selectman Harry Fish said is 95% of the industry in the town.
The residents fear the rocket launches would force the lobstermen to pause fishing on those days and the parachutes ejected from the rockets would get entangled with gear, Fish said. Also, the sounds of the launches could disturb birds and wildlife, he said.
Deri said bluShift welcomes the feedback and had solutions to the problems.
For example, Deri said bluShift could launch on summer Sundays when Maine law prohibits hauling lobster traps, or late afternoons or evenings, times that wouldn’t interfere with lobster fishing.
Also, bluShift would take responsibility for any damaged or lost gear affected by the parachutes. The company is looking at different ways to eject the parachutes to avoid any potential entanglement in the first place, Deri said.
“It’s incredibly valuable and educational for us. We want to hear the problems and concerns because then we can find solutions. Our desire is to work closely with the town,” Deri said.
Fish was not optimistic.
“Obviously, there’s a vast majority in town who don’t want it to happen,” Fish said. “It’s unfortunate. We welcome economic development and more jobs, but you have to find the right fit with what’s already here.”
Deri said bluShift’s first desire is to work with Jonesport to find an agreement on how the rocket-maker and community can coexist, but he’s looking at other communities just in case there’s no resolution.
“Right now, Jonesport is our choice,” Deri said. “We’re searching for other options. We’re welcoming and interested in communities that have boat-building skills, metal-working skills. We’re looking for communities that have those skills inherently.”
bluShift said it has tried to be open with Jonesport in explaining the company’s goals and has held several informational meetings, including one at the Jonesport-Beals High School on Thursday night.
The company previously said it was also looking at other launch sites outside of Maine and had also been contacted by Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
bluShift aimed for the first lift-off to be next summer, but the six-month moratorium in Jonesport can be extended for an additional six months.
“We don’t want to wait a year,” Deri said.
In January, bluShift launched Maine’s first commercial rocket and the world's first biofuel-powered commercial prototype rocket, called Stardust 1.0, from Loring Commerce Centre in Limestone. Deri is now working to raise capital for a new, full-sized commercial rocket, Starless Rogue.
Founded in 2014, bluShift continues to receive attention during its development. The company said Friday it will be featured by Forbes magazine in a new series called “The Business of Climate Change." Last month, Deri was honored as a member of the 2021 Mainebiz Next List.
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How is a rocket any different than an airliner flying overhead? And even in other spaceports, launches happen months apart. It looks like bluShift wants to ADD jobs to the town... Jonesport isn't thinking out of the box.
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