Spaceport Designs Unveiled

September 10, 2007—Architects and officials last week unveiled the planned design for Spaceport America's 100,000-square-foot (9,300-square-meter) main terminal, pictured above.

The southern New Mexico facility will serve as home base for Virgin Galactic, a space-tourism company started by Virgin Atlantic Airways founder Richard Branson.

According to the designers, the facility will blend into its dusty surroundings to resemble a rise in the desert floor. Groundbreaking on the low-lying structure—a collaboration between the URS corporation and the Foster and Partners architecture firm, is scheduled for early 2008.

Funding in the amount of 198 million U.S. dollars has been in place since April, when residents of New Mexico's Dona Ana County approved a tax to finance the project.

news.nationalgeographic.com

This article really made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, it really shows that projects for space tourism are finally coming together.

With all space related articles popping up the last few days, it really looks like we'll be seeing some really interesting stuff the comming years

All in all it's certainly a step in the right direction

(edit to add link)

[edit on 12-9-2007 by Jbird]

Allright, I am admittedly a Heinlein nut. D'ya think this whole "space tourism" thing could be a NWO front to create a prison colony on the moon, or Mars? (a la Australia).
I have just always thought that if space travel becomes truly cost effective, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress could potentially become (somewhat) reality. With this in mind, this spaceport looks to me like a prototype "railhead" to a lunar Aushwitz, not progress.

too bad i dont have th 200k lying around that i can splurge on a trip or else id go.

what would the benefits be of taking a 3-6 hour trip to the outer atmosphere??