Spaceport America: It's Real, and Open for Business

Spaceport America doesn't have bug-eyed monsters, curvaceous space aliens and testosterone-addled captains, or Galactic Overlords demanding tribute.

Right now, Spaceport America doesn't look all that much different from the rest of the land between Las Cruces and Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. The terminal hasn't been built yet, bids for better roads were taken this summer, there's only one tenant, and the only working launch facility is a 20-by-100 foot concrete pad.

But Spaceport America's tenant is launching payloads into space, and suborbital passenger flights are planned to start in 2010. That's when the prime tenant, Virgin Galactic, expects to have its White Knight Two and SpaceShipTwo ready.

Not everybody's happy about it: New Mexico's had to get a couple of counties to sign on with a new sales tax, which didn't go over too well for everyone.

And, if plans go ahead, someone's sure to complain about the Rocket Racing League, the 21st century's answer to NASCAR. In fact, the sort of growth that Spaceport America's expecting will probably have a "devastating" impact on the little valley between Las Cruces and Truth or Consequences. If rocket races don't aggravate someone, new people moving in, new jobs, and more traffic are just about sure to.

Related posts:

• "Spaceports: the Blog "
  (October 25, 2008)
• "Coming Soon to a Spaceport Near You"
  (March 26, 2008)

In the news:

• "UP Aerospace does launches 'quickly and cheaply' "
  Denver Business Journal (October 3, 2008)
• "New Mexico Moves Ahead on Spaceport"
  Washington Post (May 10, 2008)
• "Spaceport America: First Looks at a New Space Terminal"
  Space.com (September 4, 2007)