The commercial spaceflight industry has suffered its share of setbacks in the last decade. Companies working on a wide range of launch vehicles have suffered technical problems and financial difficulties, and some have gone out of business entirely. It's been a source of frustration for would-be customers and industry advocates. It has not, though, deterred those who want to host those vehicles when they're finally flying. A growing number of sites in the United States have received launch site operator licenses - better known as spaceport licenses - from the Federal Aviation Administration in recent years, with more working through the application process. While a few are purpose-built spaceports, like New Mexico's Spaceport America, many are existing, and often underutilized, airports.
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