SpaceX Moving to Jax?

[marcuscnelson]

Probably not. But I guess it doesn't hurt Curry to offer.

https://twitter.com/lennycurry/status/1259263077461176322?s=21

[JaxAvondale]

Credit Curry for shooting his shot!

[Captain Zissou]

He should have specified that he was the mayor, but props.

Shooters shoot.

[jaxlongtimer]

Musk was talking about moving Tesla HQ's as he is upset he can't reopen Fremont yet.  How did SpaceX come into this picture? 

[marcuscnelson]

Musk was talking about moving Tesla HQ's as he is upset he can't reopen Fremont yet.  How did SpaceX come into this picture? 

Oops. I've been reading a lot more about space lately than about electric cars, and I think even the replies to Curry's tweet talk about space.

...but why not both? If one is really moving, I imagine it's not out of the question that the other could.

[Bill Hoff]

Credit Curry for shooting his shot!

I'm thinking Lot J anchor tenant!

[jaxlongtimer]

Credit Curry for shooting his shot!

I'm thinking Lot J anchor tenant!

If we can't get Khan's Flex N' Gate, I doubt we could get Tesla.  Wonder how much, if any, business they do with each other.  Maybe Khan could bring us both.  LOL.

FYI, for a while, SpaceX did home base its recovery barge at JaxPort so I would imagine Musk has at least "heard" of Jacksonville.

[BridgeTroll]

Cecil field spaceport plans...https://www.rsandh.com/projects/cecil-field-spaceport/

[JaGoaT]

We need to get MadeInSpace to move their headquarters downtown. I think it'd be awesome to see that name on a building in the core. Getting Tesla would be insane. But let's work with what we already have.

[marcuscnelson]

We need to get MadeInSpace to move their headquarters downtown. I think it'd be awesome to see that name on a building in the core. Getting Tesla would be insane. But let's work with what we already have.

Eh, I'm not sure what the point would be. I've been to their building on Phillips before, and I definitely think there are better spots for them to be, but I don't see why it would necessarily need to be downtown.

I could see some sort of effort to have them move to Cecil and be a part of the whole Spaceport thing.

[bl8jaxnative]

The standard take on Tesla's Fremont location is that it's too far from suppliers for high volume operation.  I'd imagine there's been a lot of talk about the need for building a new, modern manufacturing plant.  And once you do that, you're going to also re-examine the cost of doing business. 

I'd venture that they've long had some locations in mind closer to suppliers.

That's the big prize. 

HQ could be the first step to doing that.  If China's going to be a big part of their biz I'd expect them to want it to be easy to fly to Shanghai.  Dallas gives them a direct fllight.  Then again, Las Vegas has so many flight's connecting in SFO, SEA, LAX, is fairly quick and easy.

But ya...... I wouldn't expect Tesla nor Space X to move their HQ to Jacksonville nor Cleveland nor Omaha nor Albuquerque.

[JaxAvondale]

^^^While you are correct, all Jax would have to do is to have JIA move forward on Concourse B to add flights from China ( which would be the first city in the state to offer direct flights from China).

[marcuscnelson]

^^^While you are correct, all Jax would have to do is to have JIA move forward on Concourse B to add flights from China ( which would be the first city in the state to offer direct flights from China).

Dumb question maybe, but can a plane actually reasonably reach China from Jax? That's almost literally the other side of the planet, right? And if it could, could it be done on a reliable schedule? I imagine that's what they're going for.

If it can be done, I'd be bolder and offer up Cecil. Toss together a passenger & cargo terminal and convince an airline to just do the flights directly to China, Vegas and other facilities provided Tesla promises to take it. Hand them a chunk of land next to the airport and tell them to go ham. Factory, Gigafactory, whatever. Subtly and not-so-subtly talk up the spaceport aspect and how it might behoove SpaceX to move from Hawthorne to somewhere more in-between both of their launch facilities.

Unlike a lot of other things, getting Tesla might be worth the public cost in doing so.

[jaxlongtimer]

^^^While you are correct, all Jax would have to do is to have JIA move forward on Concourse B to add flights from China ( which would be the first city in the state to offer direct flights from China).

Dumb question maybe, but can a plane actually reasonably reach China from Jax? That's almost literally the other side of the planet, right? And if it could, could it be done on a reliable schedule? I imagine that's what they're going for.

There are several articles online about Miami's desire for years to attract nonstop flights to China and Japan so it must be achievable.  Atlanta already has such flights to Asia.  Obviously, if it is doable for Miami and Atlanta, it is doable for Jacksonville.  Miami not pulling it off doesn't bode well for our chances though  .

Then there is this:  Apparently a quota on flights to China:

Specifically, the U.S. and China have an agreement that allows for a limited number of flights to top Chinese cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou split between top Chinese airliners and three top U.S. carriers, which include American Airlines Inc. (Nasdaq: AAL), Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE: DAL), and United Airlines Holding Inc. (Nasdaq: UAL). Those flights are highly competitive and any new services to the U.S. likely will go through the hub airports of the major three U.S. carriers such as Delta's hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport that acts as a connecting point for flights before heading to their final destinations.

https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2019/11/26/full-throttle-why-orlandos-airport-wants-direct.html

[JPalmer]