Virgin Galactic to Build Space Port in New Mexico

aapold writes "Virgin Galactic today announced plans to build a $225 million space port in southern New Mexico. Richard Branson will meet with governor Bill Richardson Wednesday to unveil the plans. Virgin Galactic is the company leveraging Spaceship One which, as reported by Slashdot, claimed the Ansari X prize for commercial space flight."

Re:Wouldn't it be better...

[Anonymous Coward]

...and so an Airport should be build in the...air?

Hmm

[TallMatthew]

Virgin Galactic said it had chosen New Mexico as the site for its headquarters because of its steady climate, free airspace, low population density and high altitude. All those factors can significantly reduce the cost of the space flight program.

Low population density significantly reduces the cost of the space flight program? I guess they're assuming there will be some bourgeois shrapnel flying around.

I wonder what the road sign looks like that warns against burning appendages falling from the sky.

Awesome

[iamdrscience]

The spaceport, to be located some 25 miles south of the town of Truth or Consequences

That's got to be one of the best names for a town ever. Right up there with Yeehaw Junction, Florida and Ding Dong, Texas.

and in a few months

[siddesu]

there'll be a rush to buy property in all places that are suitable for launch sites.
that is on the equator, facing east, and with good infrastructure around ;)

now is the time to buy ;)

Strategic location

[ch-chuck]

Think of all the money they'll save hiring undocumented workers.

You are absolutely correct,

[m93]

I tried putting one in my town on SimCity, and it did nothing but cause problems.

Mexican Spaceport

[Random Q. Hacker]

So... who's got a truck big enough for a whale?

Further ways to reduce costs

[jurt1235]

There are more ways to reduce the costs of this base:
1. Let discovery channel make a documentary "Megastructures: Building the spaceport" and get paid for it (ofcourse).
2. Rent the spaceport, still under construction out to the movie: Space comboys II: Now the spaceport is broken, and they have to fix that before a spaceship can land. Ofcourse one of the cowboys is on board to keep it unpredictably longer in robit by burning the furniture in the engines, and to make the impossible landing.
3. Lots of movies in the titles like "Space Virgins part X". Possible to rent the spaceport out in all stages of development, like "Space Virgins: Under constractors part Y" etc.

As a Virgin North West Trains user

[Silver Sloth]

We appologise for the delay in landing. This was caused by engineering works. Please be advised that this suttle will no longer be arriving in New Mexico but will be re-routed via Siberia. Suitable bus transport will be provided (eventually)

Re:Exciting times

[D-Cypell]

wait till you have disposable camera wrappers and discarded "Welcome to Space!" flyers zooming around up there.

Then the spacecraft operators will need to inform their customers to keep their hands and feet inside the spaceship at all times and keep all doors and windows securely fastened.

Re:Exciting times

[TangoCharlie]

This brings a Star Wars quote to mind... "Mos Eisley spaceport: You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious."

Sheesh! There are some people who have way too much money.
They'll be the first ones up against the wall when the revolution comes!
Yeah!, them and those wasters who post to slashdot!

Bugger.

Re:Careful there....

[Shakrai]

2) "Tech companies" did not fail to constrain costs in the late 1990s, internet startups failed to have viable business plans. There is a big difference.

What's not viable about selling dimes for nickels and making up the loss in volume?

Re:and in a few months

[dylan_-]

that is on the equator, facing east, and with good infrastructure around

Damn! All the areas I have on the equator, with good infrastructure, are facing west!

Mos Eisley, NM?

[dir-wizard]

Guess it kinda makes sense that a recognizable name should be used for the spaceport...

Re:Ugh. PHB-speak ahoy!

[aapold]

I didn't us... er.. actualize the word "leverage" word when I submitted the story. I cannot recall what word i used, but it was probably rewritten for the better.

Re:I'd like to see .....

[ScottyH]

The anti mass driver crowd.

Nowhere but slashdot.

Re:fraud and exaggeration

[The Fun Guy]

if people would take more personal responsibility when posting, blogging, etc. ... said the Anonymous Coward.

Re:Ugh. PHB-speak ahoy!

[passion]

Oooh-ooh, maybe I should start to leverage my scientific vocabulary slightly incorrectly. Only then will we gain the amplitude to become managers.

Let's torque these bugs

I received a mole of spam this morning.

I'm hoping my open source app will gain popularity through osmosis.

I sent the UI to the usability lab for some titration.

His technical knowledge lead him to become a singularity around the office.

I could come up with more, but this topic is too volatile.

Re:Exciting times

[yotto]

*Right now, we have neither the ability to cause significant pollution, nor the capability to avoid it, so it's doubly moot.*

Until a paperclip tears through your passenger cabin at 10km/s

Bad news: Interspecies red light district . . .

[StefanJ]

. . . won't open until 2078.

And even then, the alien brothels won't take worthless earth-currency.

Of course, you could get some house credit by volunteering to have a horny L'CHHHTTTTHhhh plunge her ovipositer into your abdomen. The house doctor can usually dig the eggs out in time. But still, after a few times you get a reputation and . . .

Oh, sorry, this is a Virgin Spaceport. No red light district. The only bars serve lemonade and alcohol free margaritas.

Stefan

Re:Exciting times

[pizzaman100]

The Las Cruces landscape looks like Mos Eisley. It's desert, has adobe huts. Go to a used car lot and you'll even find scum and villany. Throw in a second sun and you woudn't be able to tell the difference.

Re:Hardly

[tomlouie]

In other words, [wait for it...] there's no such things as a free launch.