Truth or Consequences: The New Mexico town which is home to Spaceport America

saw this, this morning.. all i can say is Sir Richard Branson... WOW.....

THERE’S a little town in New Mexico, USA, called Truth or Consequences.

The name is apt for what is about to take place in the isolated desert basin.

Known locally as “T or C” and with a population of just 6411, the area has been selected by Virgin’s founder Richard Branson as the place where he will launch his first spaceship into the atmosphere. Here lies Spaceport America.

The technology playground is located deep in the dust, 48km east of town and is planet Earth’s first purpose-built commercial space tourism outpost.

Spaceport America opened officially in 2011 but it made its name before then. It was known as the place where the ashes of James Doohan, who played Scotty in the original Star Trek, were shot into space.

Since then, hundreds of millions of dollars have been poured into the project, with Virgin Galactic expected to launch its first rocket with six human travellers on-board this year.

“The sinuous shape of the building in the landscape and its interior spaces seek to capture the drama and mystery of space flight itself, articulating the thrill of space travel for the first space tourists,” a statement from Virgin said.

The spaceport is home to Virgin Galactic’s WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo. It also hosts SpaceX’s Falcon 9R and UP Aerospace.

The spaceway stretches over 3600 metres in length, while the total area of the port is 18,000 acres. For the 700 “astronauts” signed up to Branson’s grand space scheme, this will be the last sight they see before being propelled 100km into the atmosphere.

The brave passengers have coughed up $250,000 for a two-hour flight and to experience just moments of weightlessness.

The project has been in the works for 10 years and cost $212 million.

“As always, safety will ultimately call the shots, but right now, I’m planning to go to space in 2014!” Branson wrote in an e-mail.

www.news.com.au...

Planning? Wow! Hats off...this is news.
Here in Pittsburgh pa. We were lead to believe Brandon pulled out...and this Spaceport is dead...

Thanks I have a slimmer of hope!

In fact here on Google the place was never completed...only the fire department was done...some of us filed an application to Spaceport for a change...only to get back a non completion rejection.

Keep posting!

a reply to: Bigburgh

Okay, so I totally misunderstood your post. Apology needed...we would be great on board together because the left hand never knows what the right is doing.

T or C is 2 hours from me. I've been through the town many times. I had no idea this SpacePort existed! Too bad we can't visit it... Thanks for posting.

You can visit it. There are public tours available through Follow The Sun Inc.
Contact Follow the Sun Inc. at +1-575-740-6894
Toll Free: +1-866-428-4SUN(786)
If anyone decides to go, please post your observations.

a reply to: borracho

Wow! Thanks! We often drive up to the VLA because we love that kind of stuff. I will definitely report!

originally posted by: Bigburgh
Planning? Wow! Hats off...this is news.
Here in Pittsburgh pa. We were lead to believe Brandon pulled out...and this Spaceport is dead...

Who gave you that misinformation?

The Spaceport was going to be built by the State of New Mexico regardless of Branson and Virgin Galactic and there have been tours of it since 2011. Just Google "Spaceport America" for pictures.

originally posted by: Benevolent Heretic
T or C is 2 hours from me. I've been through the town many times. I had no idea this SpacePort existed! Too bad we can't visit it... Thanks for posting.

:facepalm:

You can visit it and have been able to for years now.


Spaceport America: Visit Us