James Dean

FLORIDA TODAY

Space Florida last week named FedEx its "preferred provider of logistics, transportation and cargo related services" at Kennedy Space Center's former shuttle runway.

NASA in June 2015 signed a 30-year agreement with Space Florida to manage the three-mile runway as a commercial facility that could eventually host horizontal launches and landings of spacecraft.

In May of that year, a FedEx Express Boeing 757 became the first commercial aircraft to land on the Shuttle Landing Facility, or SLF, according to FedEx.

Space Florida's board last week approved spending up to $573,000 for studies and other work needed to seek a Federal Aviation Administration license to operate the SLF as a commercial spaceport for launches and landings.

Space Florida would become the first commercial spaceport operator approved not only for launches but to receive vehicles returning from space.

Schedule of upcoming Florida rocket launches

Will you be mine, Falcon 9? SpaceX could launch from KSC on Valentine's Day

The first spacecraft to do that could be the Air Force's secret X-37B mini-shuttle, one of which has been in orbit for nearly two years, or possibly Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser space plane, which could deliver cargo to the International Space Station as soon as 2019.

A Dream Chaser prototype recently was delivered to NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force base in California for several months of tests including approach and landing flights.

From the Feb. 5, 2017 Space Notebook.

Contact Dean at 321-242-3668 or jdean@floridatoday.com. And follow on Twitter at @flatoday_jdean and on Facebook at facebook.com/jamesdeanspace.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk meets with President Trump

KSC Visitor Complex plans major new attractions