Branson to base 'Virgin Galactic' spaceline in... Roswell?

This article claims that Richard Branson intends to base thw world's first private spaceline in Roswell, New Mexico (site of the supposed 1947 alien crash). The actual site will be just south of the White Sands missile test range:
news.independent.co.uk...

Now... oddly... this story claims that the base will be built most underground.
abcnews.go.com...

Doesn't anyone else find that intriguing?

Well, that area is practically protected by the military, is not very accessible and huge. So no, it doesn't sound weird, just sensible. Being near a military installation will mean that potential terrorists or whatever will be discoraged.

Originally posted by Zanzibar
Well, that area is practically protected by the military, is not very accessible and huge. So no, it doesn't sound weird, just sensible. Being near a military installation will mean that potential terrorists or whatever will be discoraged.

That's true. My guess, though, is that he will deliberately play off of the Roswell legend for marketing reasons... which would be fun to follow.

Maybe he will accidently dig to build where they buried the evidence in 1947!

He loves money, so yeah, he'll definately at least mention Roswell in there. Maybe a themed cafe there or something!

I just wish I had $200,000, I know what i'd spend it on!

His Spaceport design looks pretty impressive, I like the "eye" thing. Many catchy phrases could go with it.

Its clearly that Virgin Galactic will become a private space leader.

Virgin Galactic's Space Port

Burt Rutan talking about SpaceShip Two
"I believe that after it [SpaceShipTwo] flies 10 or 12 years, that type [of spaceliner] will fly about 100,000 people outside the atmosphere," Rutan said.

"The ship that we’re developing in our shop right now in Mojave will have a very large cabin," Rutan explained. A passenger can stand up in that compartment and float up to the ceiling...put their hands out and tumble.

"The windows will have handles on them. If you want to look outside, you’re going to have to go to a window and pull your nose up against it and just look," Rutan said. "You’re not going to be strapped into seats in a small thing with little windows...if you do that, that spaceliner will not sell the tickets."

SpaceShipTwo will be "experience optimized," Rutan said. The suborbital craft will cruise high above Earth, he added, giving passengers a weightless experience and some seven or eight minutes of black sky viewing.

Flight paths of his commercial spaceship can include over-the-ocean travel, gliding above California to a desert landing, Rutan said. "We applaud when you stop on the runway. The NASA folk applaud when they clear the tower on takeoff," he said.

I don't understand why this is being built 90% underground....am i missing something here? Why spend all the extra money on making it a subterranean 'spaceport' when you can simply do it above ground?

[edit on 16-12-2005 by BlackThorn311]

Originally posted by BlackThorn311
I don't understand why this is being built 90% underground....am i missing something here? Why spend all the extra money on making it a subterranean 'spaceport' when you can simply do it above ground?

[edit on 16-12-2005 by BlackThorn311]

I'm sure its only for looks.

From ground level you will harly be able to see the building, and for the person standing at ground level, will see SS2 rise up from the ground, which would look pretty cool. From above it will look like a giant eye, and from the ground you wont be able to "see" it.

Seeing SpaceShip Two come out of the ground would be awesome to see...didn't think about that. In any case, I'm glad to see that Virgin "Galactic," which i think is an extremely catchy name, is taking the steps to finally put private organizations into space. NASA wasn't about to get around to it any time soon, so I'm glad that Branson and Rutan are taking the iniative. I think that the space industry is going to take off (no pun intended ) during the next decade or so, and this is a great first step.

[edit on 17-12-2005 by BlackThorn311]

IT would make since to base teh operations in Roswell. Large area of land, and as we all know Goddard did many of his experimental rocket flights in Roswell. Sounds to me like he has simply picked a location rich in historical attempts to reach space.

For the record Goddard wasn't trying to reach space per se, but his designs and engineering did help others.

There are some great views in that area as well as some unexplained lights that can only be seen with IR. What is most interesting are the cattle ranches down in giant holes created by lava bubbles that burst eons ago.

96R30 "Always out front"

It is my understanding that the facility will be built near the White Sands Missile Range which is near Alamogordo in Otero County, which is on the other side of the mountain range from Roswell.





en.wikipedia.org...

www.wsmr.army.mil...

www.alamogordo.com...

co.otero.nm.us...