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DESPITE delays to its plan, a consortium that is trying to build a spaceport in Singapore says it is optimistic about the project.
A spokesman for the Singapore consortium, Mr Nick Marrett, founder of entertainment company Octtane, said two-thirds of the US$115 million (S$176 million) needed for the Singapore spaceport has been secured.
It only needs local investors to chip in the final third and it will be 'ready to go', he said.
Rather than the project losing steam, said Mr Marrett, his company actually pumped in more money recently, as a sign of confidence in the spaceport.
He added: 'We are feeling as confident about the project now as four months ago.'
The local consortium, which includes six Singapore companies - one of which is Octtane - and Virginia-based Space Adventures, announced the plans for Singapore's spaceport with great fanfare in February last year.
The plan was to attract well-heeled adventurers who are willing to spend an estimated US$100,000 for tourist flights into space.
The spaceport was meant to be the launching pad for space flights out of Asia.
It was also supposed to have museums and a cafeteria offering space food.
But since then, there has been little progress.
Even though Space Adventures has been in discussions with local authorities since 2003, The Straits Times understands that the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore has yet to give the spaceport the green light.
Another member of the Singapore consortium, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that while local investors generally thought well of the project, there is a reluctance to pump in money because they feel the project is 'too ahead of its time to be commercially viable'.
A similar spaceport was announced in Dubai, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, at the same time last year.
That project has not only been approved by local authorities, but an Emirati crown prince has also pledged US$30 million to it.
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