As the world remains in the thrall of the conclusion of George Lucas's four-decade-old Star Wars saga, you might be excused for thinking the Colorado Air and Spaceport (CASP) was someplace the Millennium Falcon landed during one of the movies. But the facility formerly known as Front Range Airport (FTG), located just outside Denver, exists as one of 12 authorized commercial space launch centers in the U.S.

CASP's field elevation—5,512 feet msl—offers the tag line “the first mile is free”  and a leg up on competitors in horizontal space launch operations, once that technology becomes viable.

FTG, which began operations in 1984, was originally designed as a heavy cargo port to support cramped Stapleton International Airport. But as the plans for the new Denver International Airport (DEN) solidified, it was decided the new commercial airline hub airport would accommodate cargo operations as well, and that FTG would, instead, be completed as a general aviation reliever airport. As such, runways initially planned to be 12,000 and 10,000 feet were shortened to 8,000 feet each.

Owned and operated by Adams County, FTG earned its spaceport licensing in 2018, a move that was endorsed by the entire region, from the state governor’s office on down. That led to rebranding as CASP. “We felt that it was very important to include not only that regional nature, but also the fact that we’re still an operating general aviation airport, in addition to being a spaceport,” said David Ruppel, CASP’s director.

The lone FBO on the field has been operated by the airport since it opened in 1993 and occupies a 5,000-sq-ft, two-story terminal. It includes a passenger lounge/lobby, refreshment bar, pilot lounge with snooze room and private crew shower facilities, a business center, onsite car rental, and upstairs, two large A/V-equipped conference/meeting rooms seating up to 50 and 100 respectively. A full-service restaurant, the Aviator Bar and Grill, which is also airport owned, can prepare on-demand catering for flights in addition to serving airport customers. The FBO also provides shuttle service to DEN, which is approximately 15 minutes away, for passengers and crew.

The Phillips 66-branded facility is open from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. every day and pumps approximately 360,000 gallons of fuel a year. That total is currently split evenly between jet fuel and avgas, but Lori Hague, CASP’s customer service supervisor, told AIN the volume of jet-A has been rising. The location has a fuel farm with a capacity of 50,000 gallons of jet-A, and 10,000 of avgas, the latter available either through 24 hour self-serve or from a 5,000-gallon refueler operated by the NATA Safety 1st-trained line staff. A pair of 5,000-gallon tankers serve jet-A customers.

Given its proximity to some of Colorado’s legendary ski resorts, it's little surprise that the facility’s peak season for jet traffic starts around Thanksgiving and runs through the winter. During that period, CASP can see as many as 180 operations a day, and it will put on extra staff to handle the busier shifts. Piston traffic tends to rise in the warmer months.

Currently, the FBO has a single heated hangar with 10,000 sq ft of space that can accommodate aircraft up to a GIV. It is home to 10 turboprops, including King Airs and MU-2s, and during ski season, several jets such as a Gulfstream GV and a Hawker 900 take up residence on a frequent basis.

According to Ruppel, as soon as the snow melts in the spring, CASP will break ground on $7.5 million 37,500-sq-ft hangar, with a 32-foot-high door, which will put it in the Group 1 hangar category with its even more stringent safety requirements. “We’ve run into some problems where we had aircraft come in that have tails that were higher, and it seems that a lot of new aircraft that are coming out have tails that are higher,” he told AIN. “If we were going to be able to do a large hangar, we figured it would be worth it to go ahead and make the investment to be able to handle the larger equipment.” Like its smaller sibling, this new-build hangar will also include office space and is expected to be completed by late 2021. A private contractor is currently constructing a major private hangar facility consisting of 25 T-hangars and a similar number of box hangars will go up later in the year.

The complex just finished a $1 million ramp resurfacing project, and Ruppel noted long term plans call for CASP to finally get its 12,000-foot runway as originally intended. “We’ll want to add length to the runway. That’s going to be positive both for the aviation side and the space side of things,” he said.

Also on his wishlist: a major upgrade to the facility’s ARFF (Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting), which is currently dependent upon the local municipal fire department. Ruppel is looking to have a permanent full capability fire and rescue presence on the field, particularly once those rocket-fuel-loaded space flights begin.