New Mexico has never been one of my top places to visit in the world. However, it appears that in the nearish future, I might just have to go.
That’s because Virgin Galactic has signed a 20 year lease agreement with the state for the nation’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport.
“The signing of this agreement is a momentous day for our state and has cemented New Mexico as the home of commercial space travel,” New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson said. “I want to thank Virgin Galactic for partnering with us to create a whole new industry that is going to transform the economy of Southern New Mexico—creating thousands of jobs, generating money for education, boosting tourism and attracting other companies and economic opportunities to the area.”
Earlier in December, the Federal Aviation Administration green light the operation.
Virgin Galactic has already proceeded with test flights of its WhiteKnightTwo vehicle 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.
