Georgia’s highest court refused Thursday to interfere with election officials finalizing results of a referendum in which voters overwhelmingly rejected plans to buy land for a rocket launch pad.
The order by the Georgia Supreme Court denied an emergency motion by county commissioners seeking to temporarily halt certification of the Tuesday election, which aims to stop commissioners from closing on the purchase of 4,000 acres (1,600 hectares) for a commercial spaceport.
Coastal Camden County at the Georgia-Florida line spent a decade and $10.3 million pursuing construction of Spaceport Camden, only to see voters renounce the project by a nearly 3-to-1 margin. The referendum was forced by opponents who say the spaceport would pose serious environmental and safety risks that outweigh any economic benefits.
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