New things announced at Back to Space

For the second time in a bit more than a month, Back To Space officials were in Jacksboro July 24 to tell citizens on what they are planning.

Work on the 17.5-acre site is expected to begin shortly. City Manager Mike Smith said TXDOT has bgun putting up signs for the roadwork for turn lanes into the site which should begin soon.

Work on the first segment should be complete within 6-10 months and include a gift shop, according to Back to Space President Michael Gorton. The $1.5 million will be funded by selling equity in the company.

Phase 1 will include a 25,447 square foot map of the moon surface which will be a world record in two ways. People will be able to feel like they walked on the moon.

One of the new things is having Command Module Pilot for Apollo 14 Stuart Roosa. Roosa took a packet of tree seeds to and from the moon.

Roosa’s family will be taking saplings of Sycamore trees and planting them on the site of the facility.

Work is expected to begin in the Fall with repaving the entrance and getting the site ready. Phase 1 could take into early 2021. To get everything correct it will be worth it as this will hopefully have people from around the country and world wanting to see it.

“We’ll be using augmented and virtual reality as part of an experimental environment that will allow people to see what it was like to walk on the moon,” Gorton said. “ We’ll have driving on the moon competitions and rocket launch competitions a few times a year to see who can get their rocket to land as close as to where Apollo 16 did.”

Gorton says part of the project is to get children excited again about science and technology.

“The U.S. used to be No.1 in producing the number of engineers,” Gorton said. “China has overtaken us followed by Russia, which has half our population and Iran which should do it in two years and has like 50 million people. We need to get passionate about science and technology againt.”

Gorton said he wants and needs ideads on how to keep Jacksboro Jacksboro while this expansion is going on and help the town maintain its small town ambience. For more information or to submit ideas, contact Gorton at mg@mgalcor.com