# NEW MEXICO | Spaceport America Development News



## Newcastle Guy (Jul 8, 2005)

Logo source


First images released of the first Spaceport America terminal, designed by a team consisting of British architects (Fosters) and American engineers.

Construction is due to begin next year and finish late 2009/early 2010.

Virgin Galactic plan to launch from here as soon as it opens.

Official Site:

Link

Virgin Galactic site:

Link

Renders:









Source: http://solscape.astroarts.org/2009/06/21/grundsteinlegung-fuer-spaceport-america / full HD resolution

HiRes Visualization of Spaceport America from above:








Source: http://expandingconsciousness.wordpress.com/2011/05/ / full resolution























































Elevation:





































The spacecraft by Virgin Galactic (White Knight):



















All renders by archrecord.construction.com / See also


There are more renders on the official Spaceport America site, and a number of stories on the net.


Actual spacecraft footage:




























From: http://www.virgingalactic.com/news/...me-toasts-the-evolution-of-flight-with-virgi/


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## will.exe (Aug 9, 2006)

Yea civilian space travel will become the norm in my lifetime I have no doubt. Wow.


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## xXFallenXx (Jun 15, 2007)

Wow, its amazing what us humans can do. 
Crazy. i wish i had the money do this.


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## xXFallenXx (Jun 15, 2007)

i wonder if there will really be as many people there as they show in the pics.


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## philvia (Jun 22, 2006)

wtf why new mexico?


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## xXFallenXx (Jun 15, 2007)

^^ probably because there is nothing out there, so the noise wont bother people. Also because i assume they need a huge runway and there is a lot of space in New Mexico for that kind of thing.


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## MDguy (Dec 16, 2006)

They have a place where space shuttles land sometimes already. i think thats why


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## Athenax (Aug 14, 2007)

Looks cute and looks like an alien's hub to me. :lol:

And since it's a "Spaceport", aliens from outer space might come to visit from time to time.


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## xXFallenXx (Jun 15, 2007)

^^ i think thats one of the reasons they are building it. :lol:


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## Athenax (Aug 14, 2007)

^^ Right, to encourage aliens from outer space to land on earth. :lol:


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## -Corey- (Jul 8, 2005)

That's why they are going to buld it. ^^


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## Zicyx (Jun 6, 2007)

Wow the building indeed looks ''alien''! There many strange buildings around the world but they always look ''human''. This one looks really alien. Maybe someone should put this on Digg.


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## Bond James Bond (Aug 23, 2002)

Kewel thread. 

Here's where it's located.










They shoulda put it closer to Roswell.


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## XKQWhy (Aug 26, 2007)

^^ 

It's closer to Las Cruces than it looks on the map, I think about 40 miles north-- roughly halfway between T or C and Las Cruces.

Regarding the why New Mexico comment...

NM may be a small state (2M people in the whole state), but it is well-represented by high tech/R&D companies and two National Laboratories (Sandia and Los Alamos). The site is near the White Sands Missile Range where the first atomic bomb was detonated in 1945 and, as stated earlier, the backup Shuttle landing site.

Of course there's nothing around for 40 miles or so, so it's probably a pretty good site...


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## Gaeus (Mar 21, 2007)

OOH! NICE!

Its pretty far from Roswell but I am pretty sure it will only take less than 30 seconds for aliens to get there. :nuts:


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## Athenax (Aug 14, 2007)

Gaeus said:


> Its pretty far from Roswell but I am pretty sure it will only take less than 30 seconds for aliens to get there. :nuts:




Some of them are getting curious about this "Spaceport"...











...that they held a meeting to discuss it.


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## jchernin (Jul 21, 2005)

nice thread.

^i hope u didnt take that photo Athenax


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## Athenax (Aug 14, 2007)

jchernin said:


> ^i hope u didnt take that photo Athenax


It was a closed door meeting and those jealous aliens won't let me in...:|


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## goschio (Dec 2, 2002)

Nice space port. Isn't Dubai planing one as well?


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## Zicyx (Jun 6, 2007)

^^ Yeah and Singapore too.


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## -Corey- (Jul 8, 2005)

liars


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## Gaeus (Mar 21, 2007)

This thread needs to be transferred to the Airport section.


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## DAMN I m good (Aug 19, 2007)

its an exiting project were going in to the next step of transport


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## Newcastle Guy (Jul 8, 2005)

Sweden is also planning a spaceport, and Richard Branson is also looking at flying from the UK as well once VG takes off, so we could be getting one too.


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## eonynx (Jun 1, 2007)

wow! spaceport! i hope they issue passports soon for those aliens!


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## xXFallenXx (Jun 15, 2007)

i need $200,000 so i can take off from here.
Any donations?


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## il fenomeno (Sep 11, 2002)

philvia said:


> wtf why new mexico?


also because it's military restricted area, so commercial airliners bypass the area. its quite high above sea level too, so less fuel is needed.


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## jpaulo_001 (Jul 3, 2007)

Beautiful


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## romanamerican (Apr 28, 2007)

they will probably build spaceports all over the world, but we will ever remember that the first spaceport was buildid in america, as usual..


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## Zicyx (Jun 6, 2007)

romanamerican said:


> they will probably build spaceports all over the world, but we will ever remember that the first spaceport was buildid in america, as usual..


The one in singapore should be opening sooner, and of course dubai has also plans for a spaceport.


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## romanamerican (Apr 28, 2007)

Zicyx said:


> The one in singapore should be opening sooner, and of course dubai has also plans for a spaceport.


I'm quite shure Virgin galactic is starting in new mexico (they announced it a while ago and it was on all newpapers and television). But who knows, maybe they will surprise us.... I defenetly hope not


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## romanamerican (Apr 28, 2007)

^^ ^^ ^^ 

Got confirmation from the Virgin Galactic web site. New Mexico is going to be the first spaceport. just as I thought :lol: 

p.s. Sorry for the number of posts, but wanted to be shure of what I was talking about.


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## KoolKeatz (Jan 30, 2007)

The whole project is a ecological nightmare. As usual in the USA.


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## Sbz2ifc (Apr 16, 2006)

Interesting design. It reminds me of Saarinen's TWA Terminal at JFK.


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## Newcastle Guy (Jul 8, 2005)

KoolKeatz said:


> The whole project is a ecological nightmare. As usual in the USA.


YAWN.


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## xXFallenXx (Jun 15, 2007)

KoolKeatz said:


> The whole project is a ecological nightmare. As usual in the USA.


AWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!! Someone needs a hug!:hug:















































:tongue:


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## romanamerican (Apr 28, 2007)

KoolKeatz said:


> The whole project is a ecological nightmare. As usual in the USA.


What do you mean? please explain..


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## Newcastle Guy (Jul 8, 2005)

romanamerican said:


> they will probably build spaceports all over the world, but we will ever remember that the first spaceport was buildid in america, as usual..


Yep, and SPAmerica wouldn't have been commisioned had it not been for one very English man


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## xXFallenXx (Jun 15, 2007)

Newcastle Guy said:


> Yep, and SPAmerica wouldn't have been commisioned had it not been for one very English man


i've been thinking about this.....

I think Richard Branson is to cool to be English so I've come to the conclusion that he is really American and he is just faking the accent because he thinks it sounds cool. 
Prove me wrong...



:lol:


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## Newcastle Guy (Jul 8, 2005)

lol!









Well, you never know...


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## romanamerican (Apr 28, 2007)

Mr. Met said:


> someone posted earlier on the thread that they are building in Dubai and somewhere else.


They are planning other spaceports, but they are still only on paper, nothing has been built (at least that is what I heard). That is why they are calling this one the first private spaceport in the world.


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## Dallasbrink (Nov 2, 2007)

is this really under construction?


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## TroyBoy (Jan 25, 2006)

Dallasbrink said:


> is this really under construction?


Its pretty much finished.


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## Mr. Met (Jan 9, 2008)

TroyBoy said:


> Its pretty much finished.


any pictures?


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## nezzybaby (Jan 14, 2005)

^take a hint mr met, you've asked the same question every single day, there are no pictures. It's not like a new skyscraper where you can send somebody from down the road to take a few snapshots, the spaceport is in the middle of nowhere. There is also very little to see, essentially there will be a runway and a few small buildings, look at a small airport and imagine it to be very much the same. The spaceport is for launching scaled/virgin's Spaceshiptwo, these are launched from a support plane, so there is no major infrastructure required, just a large exclusion zone for safety reasons. 

Scaled had a major setback last year when an explosion at one of their plants caused the death of three of their staff. There has been no news about the spaceshiptwo since. Scaled are also a company that pride themselves on secrecy, and you will probably not here any more about them until the plane is ready to fly. Patience is the key here, stop spamming this thread.


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## Dallasbrink (Nov 2, 2007)

So what is the port going to be used for since we dont have space liners yet?


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## Lightness (Nov 3, 2006)

Dallasbrink said:


> So what is the port going to be used for since we dont have space liners yet?


But we do, Scaled has at least one and another one being delivered soon I think.


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## nezzybaby (Jan 14, 2005)

^not yet they don't, virgin havent recieved any yet and there has as i say been no news from scaled in about 2 years now. The port is currently being used for commercial rocket tests, it is also the home of the X-prize cup, which is a yearly event designed to demonstrate the viability of commercial space flight. There have been a couple of rocket launches there in the last few years, and the cup attracts a large crowd. 


more info here http://www.xprize.org/events-challenges/x-prize-cup


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## nezzybaby (Jan 14, 2005)

nezzybaby said:


> ^not yet they don't, virgin havent recieved any yet and there has as i say been no news from scaled in about 2 years now. ...


Best timing ever, new images of spaceshiptwo and whiteknighttwo were released yesterday, it is the most stunning vehicle ever designed, i can't wait to see them flying:










article including video here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7205445.stm


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## Dallasbrink (Nov 2, 2007)

^^ Pretty little airplane!


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## nezzybaby (Jan 14, 2005)

tis a spaceplane!! can take 8 people into space, will be the worlds first commercial spaceplane


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## TU 'cane (Dec 9, 2007)

Wow, this is all simply amazing.


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## Dallasbrink (Nov 2, 2007)

Timmy: Can i fly it?
Narrator: Why yes little Timmy, you can, anyone can fly one with just 5 years of training
Timmy: 5 years?
Narrator: Yes...or you can be kicked out of Nasa for driving from Houston to Florida to kill your ex astronaut boy friends new astronaut girl friend! 
Timmy: Win Win
Together:HAHAHAHA


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

As far as construction photos go, this place is in the middle of the desert, literally 30 miles from any town.

I found out that it is near the "town" of Upham (which looks to be just a dot on the map, no buildings at all). The only building even close to Upham is 7 miles northeast of the "town". Here are the pictures of those buildings. I don't know if they are the Spaceport or not, but I didn't find anything else, so by process of elimination it has to be something.


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## Dallasbrink (Nov 2, 2007)

xzmattzx said:


>


ya, that would be a farm, shows how much someone from Philly knows


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## nezzybaby (Jan 14, 2005)

Dallasbrink said:


> Timmy: Can i fly it?
> Narrator: Why yes little Timmy, you can, anyone can fly one with just 5 years of training
> 
> *Training period is minimal, all you need is the $200K fee for the flight*
> ...


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## aussiescraperman (Apr 5, 2005)

this is awesome....i'm definitely going to get into space before i die.....woohoo!


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## Newcastle Guy (Jul 8, 2005)

nezzybaby said:


>


I love the new design and the way it incorporates the Virgin Galactic Iris Logo. Looks like a cool, futuristic and sleeker version of the space shuttle. They have done a great job with this, aesthetically at least, just as Foster has done with the Spaceport.

Here is another view of SS2:










Size and design comparisons of SS1 and SS2:



















Richard and a model of the ship:










Other models:



















Simulator:










Construction pic of the first WhiteKnightTwo:










Construction pics of the VSS Enterprise:




























Branson and Rutan:










You can tell how passionate Richard is about this. That can only be a good thing.


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## erbse (Nov 8, 2006)

What a pity I had to pull this thread out of the DN archives. 


Another inside rendering of the Spaceport:








Source: http://gizmodo.com/5113433/virgin-galactics-spaceport-america-gets-faa-green-light


The construction site as of May 2011 (I believe) with Virgin Galactic SpaceShip Two / White Knight aircraft flying over it:








Source: http://expandingconsciousness.wordpress.com/2011/05/



Anyone in here who got more construction shots? Especially recent ones would be much appreciated!


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## erbse (Nov 8, 2006)

HiRes Visualization of Spaceport America from above:









Source: http://expandingconsciousness.wordpress.com/2011/05/ / full resolution


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## Chadoh25 (Dec 28, 2007)

Amazing! How much does a ticket cost? I'm guessing more than I make. lol


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## desertpunk (Oct 12, 2009)

Chadoh25 said:


> Amazing! How much does a ticket cost? I'm guessing more than I make. lol


Reservations being taken at $200,000 a ticket. Just click on the link: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...Ij0qq12zvRgGNjaYQ&sig2=Cox4z6WVf9zA7Z0UixM6Ug

31670232


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## erbse (Nov 8, 2006)

Awesome video, haha 


Some article with pics:

*Update: Spaceport America by Foster and Partners*












Project: Spaceport America
Designed by Foster + Partners
Co-architects: SMPC Architects
Location: New Mexico, USA
Website: www.fosterandpartners.com
Spaceport America marks the first step into exploring space travel on commercial basis, work of Foster and Partners this state of the art project is now completed. For more images and words from the architects continue after the jump:



























The Virgin Galactic Gateway to Space, a combined terminal and hangar facility, will support up to two WhiteKnightTwo and five SpaceShipTwo vehicles. The 120,000 square-foot building has been designed by Foster + Partners, working with URS Corporation and New Mexico architects SMPC.

The Gateway will also house all astronaut preparation and celebration facilities, a mission control centre and a friends and family area. Entrance is via a deep channel cut into the landscape and its retaining walls form an exhibition space that documents a history of space exploration alongside the story of the region.

With minimal embodied carbon and few additional energy requirements, the scheme has been designed to achieve LEED Gold accreditation. The low-lying form is dug into the landscape to exploit the thermal mass, which buffers the building from the extremes of the New Mexico climate as well as catching the westerly winds for ventilation; and maximum use is made of daylight via skylights. Built using local materials and construction techniques, it aims to be both sustainable and sensitive to its surroundings.


Source: http://www.archiscene.net/firms/foster-and-partners/spaceport-america-foster-partners/


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## erbse (Nov 8, 2006)

I updated the first post of this thread with some nice graphics and renders.


Render video of the Virgin Galactic venture:




http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pHa8XatVUXA#!


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## desertpunk (Oct 12, 2009)

*Spaceport America Welcome Center Runway Upgrades In The Works*









NY Times



> Posted: 09/27/2012 09:10:10 AM MDT
> 
> LAS CRUCES -- The New Mexico Spaceport Authority board of directors awarded two more contracts this week, moving the spaceport closer to its scheduled grand opening in December 2013. The board awarded a runway modification contract to A.S. Horner, an Albuquerque company with an 80-year history of doing business.
> 
> ...


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## el palmesano (May 27, 2006)

great news!


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## Сталин (Dec 29, 2011)

Nice images, Its design is interesting.


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## desertpunk (Oct 12, 2009)

*abqjournal*



> SpaceX signs lease at spaceport
> By Associated Presson Tue, May 7, 2013
> POSTED: 12:23 pm
> 
> ...


Operations at the spaceport for Virgin Galactic should ramp up soon ahead of their maiden flight scheduled for 2014.

_From 8/30/2012:_








http://curbed.com/archives/2012/08/30/spaceport-america-unveiled-prepping-for-launches-next-year.php























































All above: http://curbed.com/archives/2012/08/30/spaceport-america-unveiled-prepping-for-launches-next-year.php









http://www.visualnews.com/2012/12/06/recent-images-of-the-first-spaceport/spaceport-america-135/


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## Beware (Oct 30, 2007)

desertpunk said:


> Reservations being taken at $200,000 a ticket. Just click on the link: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...Ij0qq12zvRgGNjaYQ&sig2=Cox4z6WVf9zA7Z0UixM6Ug
> 
> 31670232


*Can I kite (ahem)....  ' WRITE ' them a check?*


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## desertpunk (Oct 12, 2009)

http://www.abqjournal.com/main/79589/biz/road-rolling-along.html/attachment/spaceport-america


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## desertpunk (Oct 12, 2009)

*Virgin Galactic, Spaceport America sign key airspace access deal*












> Agreement between Virgin Galactic, Spaceport America, and the Federal Aviation Administration is the first to cover a commercial spaceline
> 
> Sun-News report
> Posted: 05/29/2014 06:53:35 AM MDT
> ...


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