22002.

 The purpose of this part is to facilitate the formation of intercity and county airport districts having responsibility for the development of airports, spaceports, and air navigation facilities, the objective being to encourage airport and spaceport development by communities and to distribute the cost uniformly among all who benefit.

22002.5.

 As used in this part, the following terms have the following meanings:

(a) “Launch” means to place a payload on an expendable or reusable launch vehicle from Earth into a ballistic, suborbital, or orbital trajectory. Launch is also a means of placing a commercial, civil, or military payload into Earth orbit or beyond. Launch includes all activities involved in the preparation of a launch vehicle for flight, including all processing, servicing, and support activities that take place at a launch site or at a California mission control support site for ocean launches. A launch commences with the arrival of the launch vehicle and payload at the spaceport.

(b) “Launch site” means the location on Earth from which a launch takes place, as defined in a license the United States Secretary of Transportation issues or transfers under the authority of the Commercial Space Launch Act (49 U.S.C.A. Sec. 70101 et seq.), and includes all facilities and support infrastructure related to launch, reentry, or payload processing.

(c) “Launch vehicle” means a vehicle used to place, or initiate the placement of, a payload in the upper atmosphere or outer space.

(d) “Operation of a launch site” means the conduct of approved operations at a launch site to support the launching of vehicles and payloads.

(e) “Operation of a reentry site” means the conduct of approved operations at a fixed site on Earth at which a reentry vehicle or its payload, if any, is intended to land.

(f) “Payload” means an object, usually, but not necessarily, a satellite, that a person undertakes to place into the upper atmosphere or outer space by means of a launch vehicle, including components of the vehicle specifically designed or adopted to support that activity.

(g) “Person” means any individual and any corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, or other entity organized or existing under the laws of any state or nation.

(h) “Reentry” means the return of any launch vehicle that has been placed in a ballistic, suborbital, or orbital trajectory, or its payload, if any, to the Earth. Reentry includes all activities involved in the postflight ground operations. A reentry terminates when a launch vehicle or payload, if any, has completed its descent to Earth, is retrieved and secured.

(i) “Spaceport” means a location from which a space launch or operation directly associated with a space launch takes place, and a location at which a reentry vehicle or its payload, if any, is intended to land. Those buildings or facilities and any right-of-way directly associated with the space launch or reentry operations are considered part of the infrastructure of a spaceport.

22553.

 A district may do all of the following:

(a) Sue and be sued, except as otherwise provided by law, in all actions and proceedings in all courts and tribunals of competent jurisdiction.

(b) Adopt a seal and alter it at pleasure.

(c) Provide and maintain public airports, spaceports, and landing places for aerial and space reentry traffic.

(d) Acquire by purchase, condemnation, donation, lease, or otherwise, real or personal property necessary to the full or convenient exercise of any of its powers or purposes.

(e) Improve, construct or reconstruct, lease, furnish or refurnish, use, repair, maintain, control, sell, or dispose of the property of the district, including any buildings, structures, lighting equipment, and all other equipment and facilities necessary for those purposes.

22555.

 The board shall make all rules governing the use of the airports and spaceports, landing places for aerial traffic, and other aerial facilities of the district that the board determines to be necessary.

22702.

 District bonds may be issued and sold pursuant to this chapter for all of the following purposes:

(a) Raising money for purchasing real property for airport and spaceport purposes.

(b) Building and purchasing buildings or structures including hangars, or making alterations, additions, or repairs to the buildings or structures.

(c) Restoring or rebuilding buildings or structures damaged or destroyed by fire or other public calamity.

(d) Supplying buildings, structures, and hangars with furnishings and necessary apparatus.

(e) Improving the grounds of airports and spaceports.

(f) Acquiring and maintaining lighting equipment and all other equipment, devices, and facilities necessary or convenient for the airports and spaceports.

(g) Liquidating any indebtedness incurred for these purposes or refunding any valid outstanding indebtedness of the district evidenced by bonds or warrant.

(h) Paying all costs and expenses incident to the bond election, including engineering, architectural, legal charges, fiscal agent’s charges and interest during construction and for a period of not to exceed 12 months after the date of completion of construction.