Spaceport America Takes Off 153
SeaDour writes "Spaceport America, being built north of Las Cruces, New Mexico, is finally becoming a reality and is set to become the world's first commercial spaceport. Governor Bill Richardson recently secured 33 million dollars from the state legislature for the final design, and a proposed 0.25% sales tax increase in Dona Ana County, where the facility is to be constructed, is expected to bring an additional 6.5 million dollars per year (if approved by voters next week). Richard Branson, the head of upstart Virgin Galactic, on Monday agreed to lease the facility for 27.5 million dollars over twenty years. If all continues to go as planned, SpaceShipTwo will make its first suborbital joy ride in two to three years."
Re:Dont know when ... (Score:2, Funny)
GNU/America [wikipedia.org] took off years ago, and didn't work out.
One small question.. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Commerical/Government (Score:4, Funny)
Because South-Central New Mexico is such a hotbed for Hurricane & Tornado activity......
+1 for observation
-1 for geography & meteorology
Re:27 million over 20 years? (Score:2, Funny)
Two thoughts on this (Score:3, Funny)
1. This will be very good for that part of New Mexico. As a whole, the state is relatively poor.
2. What on earth would you use a spaceport for? I don't think in terms of eighth grade pulp sci-fi these days (think Tek Jansen), so seriously, what would a spaceport be for?
Re:Two thoughts on this (Score:5, Funny)
Well obviously... where else would you put the space cantina?
Re:Government Propping Up Companies (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Two thoughts on this (Score:3, Funny)
Basically, it's so a special plane can take people up very very high off the ground just barely into what could be called "outer space" but without going into orbit or beyond. It's a way for tourists to go to "outer space" without having to have the months of training and the multi-millions of dollars required to hitch a ride with the Russians because you just barely get into what is known as "outer space". Whether such a ride would meet what most people would define as "being in outer space" is a very good question. The plane is nothing like the Space Shuttle and it certainly can't go to the International Space Station. I have no idea what the duration of such a ride would be, but I would make a guess at an hour or two at most. Maybe less.
Re:Will it have... (Score:5, Funny)