By PAUL J. WEBER
Associated Press
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - SpaceX billionaire Elon Musk is "optimistic" about possibly choosing Texas for what he says will be the world's first commercial spaceport.
Musk told state lawmakers Friday he expects SpaceX to make a decision this year. He says Texas is competing with Florida, Georgia and Puerto Rico to land what Musk is billing as a "commercial version of Cape Canaveral."
Musk provided a rare celebrity presence at a House Appropriations Committee meeting. The PayPal co-founder is in Austin to deliver a keynote speech Saturday at the South by Southwest festival.
SpaceX is already buying land near Brownsville where the proposed spaceport woud be located. But Musk says the final decision will largely hinge on what state offers the most attractive economic incentives.
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