Workers to break ground on New Mexico spaceport

Workers to break ground on New Mexico spaceport

news.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.spaceportamerica.com
en.wikipedia.org

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
US gives green light for first commercial spaceport
Spaceport Designs Unveiled

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.




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

YouTube Link

YouTube Link

This quote sums it up!



-E-


news.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)



[edit on 16-6-2009 by MysterE]

that is really *expletive deleted* cool!

i would love to go just to see it. it should be awe-inspiring

Thats what I said whin I first saw it!

-E-

Whoa! Our first Spaceport... what a trip! (Pun intended).

This is like something straight out of a movie. Can you imagine all the things this will lead to?

Already so many thoughts/questions run through my mind ~ (Will space remain without borders, or will there be area 'claims' made?... If it leads to another area, will some kind of 'passports' be required?...What about all that 'space junk' in the way, and will this only create more?)

Ahhh... it's already messing with my head, lol. So many things to become curious about.

Thanks for sharing the info ~ it's quite exciting!

With all the problems for funding, zoning etc that I had read about this is exciting. Gives me a real Heinlein rush to think that space may actually get privatized (at least LEO). Thanks for sharing E, I missed this one!

I could see this working a few years ago, but now??? Come on..a spaceport in this economy? Am I the only one that thinks that there isn't a snowballs chance that this thing will turn a profit? I will be surprised if this ever opens its doors.

This will cost billions...Who is paying for it?

Also...I would assume your not actually going into space but simply slightly higher than the average airplane would go...

I don't see them allowing commercial flights full of citizens freely into space and near any government equipment, satellites, or who knows what else is up there.

While this is cool and interesting...It's disconcerting because its just simply a tease. Plus the average person and even slightly less average person would never be able to afford these flights...



[edit on 6/17/2009 by AceOfAces]

reply to post by AceOfAces

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Virgin Galactic / Richard Branson...
Our very own D.D. Harriman...

well.....if space ends up getting divided up like the american west im on the first Conestoga Wagon up there with enough space cattle to start my own moonbeef empire.

reply to post by ELECTRICkoolaidZOMBIEtest

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I'm with you. I may be getting old, but I'll be happy to grow a belter crest and get out there for some rock-hounding rustlin' up singularities

don't get your hopes up. first the flights in space aren't even an orbit! second you will not even leave earths atmosphere. there aren't any thermal tiles on the craft. third in this economy the doors will not even open on the space port.
ticket price per person is $250,000.

this is just a scam!

and don't forget The government will regulate the flights IF they give the ok for commercial flight that is.



[edit on 6/17/2009 by Mercenary2007]

This is very cool! I would love to go and check it out!

reply to post by Mercenary2007

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'No thermal tiles on the craft'... well that sure would blow if they happen to drift just a little too far.

I remember this subject being on the news a couple years ago and how a number of the "well to do" people and celebs were already planning on being among the first to take these trips. There always seems to be plenty of people with money coming out of the woodwork for these kinds of things. (Poochie may just have to go without his extra diamond studded collar).

Yea, understandably these trips will only go so far at first (I think it's supposed to be high enough they can 'float' around the cabin?)... but knowing human nature it's bound to expand over time, and could get pretty interesting.

Good old Virgin Galactic,

Who would've thought a smelly British dude with a stupid looking beard who started his business by selling 12" vinyl records would be the first large scale entrepreneur for commercial space flights and the biggest commodity behind the worlds first commercial space port.

Well done Richard Branson... respect!



If the market is there and the demand is there, it doesn't matter what anyone else's opinion is. Its still a step forward in commercial space travel. There are tens of thousands of billionaires and multi millionaires who would jump at this opportunity... Then when the cost eventually drops to a couple of grand.. would you not do it if your family bought you a trip for your birthday?

Or would you prefer noone attempted this and left the commercial space sector stagnate for another half century?

For one, I am delighted that this is being attempted.. even if it fails, it will still leave the door open.

reply to post by Mercenary2007

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Actually, the Spacecraft used by virgin galactic does reach space. The accepted boundary of the atmosphere and space is 100km and this ship is expected to be able to reach altitudes of 110km, the reason it doesn't need heat shielding is because it doesn't reach the phenominal speeds that the Shuttle does, therefors encountering less atmospheric drag.

It only gets to around Mach 3, not 30 times the speed of sound like the Shuttle. expected sub-orbital flight time is only a few minutes, with the total flight time at around 2 1/2 hrs.

The first two ships, amusingly enough, will be called VSS Enterprise and VSS Voyager. If these prove commercially successful, then SpaceShip3 will enter service as the first ever full-orbital commercial spcecraft.

reply to post by Dermo

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i don't fault them for trying its about time someone did. but lets face reality. The space faring governments of the world are not going to give up the control of space they have you know it and i know it.

there are to many secrets in orbit around our planet for them to allow civilians into space, no matter if it is 100 km or 1,000km.

Like i said don't get your hopes up on this happening anytime soon. the U.S. Government still has to approve the flights and you know they will want their share of the money as well.

reply to post by Mercenary2007

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If the US Government won't approve the flights, then they will just go elsewhere, taking the money with them. VG are already talking of building other spaceports anyway.

Contrary to popular belief, the USA does not own space and I highly doubt a civilian tour of sub-orbital space is going to compromise anything secret, as the Chinese or Russians can go up anytime they like and do a hell of a lot more than SpaceShip 2 can. Also, you will not find any secret sattelites in orbit at 110Km.

Thats a good point.. stupid NASA and US government with their stupid secrets..

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