Virgin Galactic Signs Historic Lease Agreement 49
RobGoldsmith writes "Governor Bill Richardson today announced that Virgin Galactic has signed a 20-year lease agreement with the State of New Mexico. Virgin Galactic's world headquarters will be established in New Mexico and its operations will be located at New Mexico's Spaceport America, the nation's first purpose-built commercial spaceport. The signing of the lease agreement coincides with the beginning of the test flying program for Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo launch vehicle which got underway this month in Mojave, CA. The WhiteKnightTwo will serve as the mother ship for SpaceShipTwo, the vehicle that will carry commercial astronauts into sub-orbital space from Spaceport America."
If this keeps up, we won't need NASA. (Score:2, Funny)
As more and more people hop on the private space vehicle bandwagon.
I think this makes up for Governor Schwarzenegger tempting Tesla Motors into abandoning their plans to build their first plant in Albuquerque and staying in California. After all, I can't see rocket launches happening in San Francisco!
This month? (Score:5, Funny)
For the record... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Reusable SSTO isn't going to develop (Score:5, Funny)
Re:And this is "historic" how? (Score:5, Funny)
Obviously it qualifies as historic because it is "the nation's first purpose-built commercial spaceport".
Other upcoming historic moments include "the first purpose-built commercial Twinkie served at a spaceport," "the first spilled soda on the tarmac of a purpose-built commercial New Mexico spaceport" and "the first Rabbi, Pastor, and Bishop with too few parachutes on a SpaceShip".
Re:If this keeps up, we won't need NASA. (Score:2, Funny)
"Building a rocket engine is non-trivial"
Come on, it's not brain surgery...