Workers to break ground on New Mexico spaceport

Workers to break ground on New Mexico spaceport

news.yahoo.com

UPHAM, N.M. – The wide-open desert of southern New Mexico has long been a key passageway: Spanish conquistadors used it to settle North America, and wagon trains and railroads rattled through on their way to California.

Today, New Mexico is hoping the forgotten stretch of cattle ranches and mountain ranges will become a gateway to space.

Gov. Bill Richardson and others are preparing to break ground Friday on construction of a terminal and hangar facility at the world's first commercial spaceport built with the idea of launching private citizens into space for profit. Some 250 people a

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[edit on 6/16/2009 by semperfortis]

Science fiction? Not by any stretch.

"It's real," said Steve Landeene, the spaceport's executive director. "You're not talking about things drawn on paper anymore. The boondoggle factor has started to disappear."

The spaceport will operate like an airport, offering a location where aerospace companies can lease building and hangar space. Virgin Galactic, a company owned by British billionaire Sir Richard Branson, will be the spaceport's anchor tenant.

Competitors such as XCOR Aerospace and Armadillo Aerospace are developing spacecraft for $95,000 flights. And as flights become more routine, costs should drop.

news.yahoo.com
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[edit on 6/16/2009 by semperfortis]

Wow, I didn't expect to see this until I was old.

reply to post by Donnie Darko


200 grand seems a bit much for five minutes of weightlessness. But I guess if you have money to blow and enjoy an adrenaline rush, this would give it to you.

Forget about riding in a plane in space...I'm waiting on orbital skydiving!

Yea, I saw the new Star Trek

Oops, I just posted a duplicat thread, so ill add my info here!


It's called Spaceport America! Its is pretty exciting! The groundbreaking starts June 19th, 2009, and can be seen live here!

Heres what the new spaceport wil look like.
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/c8fd22c5d4db.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/da19cc3c046f.jpg[/atsimg]

Their first customer is Virgin Galactic, and should provide a breeding ground for all types of new spacecraft designs!





This quote sums it up!

The next chapter in space transportation is being written right now in the State of New Mexico. Forward-thinking pioneers are developing both vertical and horizontal launch vehicles using the power of free-market enterprise

-E-


news.yahoo.com
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