World's First Spaceport in New Mexico Desert

In the deserts of the western United States, space tourism is becoming a reality as construction progresses on Spaceport America -- the world’s first purpose-built commercial space travel facility, 45 miles north of Las Cruces, N.M.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/d438aef2354d.jpg[/atsimg]
A flyover of New Mexico's Spaceport America with runway construction underway.

Read more: www.foxnews.com...

Today, concrete and rebar litter the ground here as crews build walls and windows, roads and runways. They've been toiling for a year and a half and will continue until 2013, when a glowing, round disk standing testimony to the future will be unveiled in the desert -- at least according to artists' imaginations of the facility. Right now it looks like any old construction site, with men in hard hats and prosaic dump trucks carting rubble in and out. In 2013, things will be different.

When the facility is finished, a mere $200,000 will let you take a voyage at least partway to the stars: Virgin Galactic will be the first carrier to transport space-curious passengers from Spaceport America on its sub-orbital missions.

The facility is more than 100,000 square feet and includes the terminal hangar and a public viewing gallery for inquisitive visitors not wishing to launch -- it looks out on a desert plain that will someday be filled with spacecraft, some shaped like traditional rockets, others space shuttle-like planes, wingless round disks or whatever spaceship designers of the future come up with.

Source:www.foxnews.com...
Additonal pic/slideshow: www.foxnews.com...=1


Wow, pretty neat stuff. It seems to me that many great things are on the near horizon. More and more reports about Private Space Travel and other privately owned projects.

I can only hope that I am alive and can experience something like space travel. If not me, my kids. What an interesting time to be alive when that thing gets up and running.

Maybe it is best that private companies get involved in Space Exploration. Now, lets see it they will be permitted to travel to the Moon before any gov't does. Something tells me they won't be allowed or able to.

I am sure the Gov't is very much involved.

Oh, in case you missed it... you can win a free flight into Space. Check it out here. Some of us already entered.

Space Competition Offers Out-of-this-World Prize: (one free trip into Space!!!)
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Note. Funny how they picked New Mexico. Must be the best place to do such a thing-right? Maybe that is what the UFO/Aliens think too......

Is it the first spaceport? What about the one in Florida? or the cosmodrome?

Note. Funny how they picked New Mexico. Must be the best place to do such a thing-right? Maybe that is what the UFO/Aliens think too......

edit on 8/18/2011 by anon72 because: (no reason given)

think about it. what force on this planet could they be running from? i think water.

and just because this is the first spaceport we remember doesnt mean anything if this rock has been here for millions of years

edit on 18-8-2011 by GenerationXisMarching because: (no reason given)