First exclusive commercial spaceport dedicated

William Atkins
Monday, 25 October 2010 23:03

Science - Space

On Friday, October 22, 2010, the Spaceport America was dedicated as the world's first facility specifically designed to launch commercial craft into space. Many VIPs were present along with Virgin Galactic's Richard Branson and a bunch of would-be astronauts.

 

During the dedication ceremony of Spaceport America, in New Mexico, Branson stated, "Today is very personal as our dream becomes more real. People are beginning to believe now. I think the drop flight two weeks ago, which went beautifully, I think it made people sit up and realize this is really reality." (Associated Press: 'Branson dedicates spaceport runway in NM desert')

Branson is referring to the drop test that occurred on Sunday, October 10, 2010. On that day, the VSS Enterprise glided from the carrier aircraft VMS Eve and landed at the Mojave Air and Spaceport.

ITwire covered the story at 'VSS Enterprise pilots glide space plane to space port' (October 11, 2010).

The article stated, 'On Sunday, October 10, 2010, the VMS Eve (WhiteKnightTwo) carrier craft dropped the VSS Enterprise space plane from an altitude of about 13.7 kilometers (8.5 miles). Its two pilots glided it back to its space port in the first manned free-flight of the commercial suborbital rocket plane.'

Branson is expecting operational flights for space tourists (wealthy astronauts) to begin in 2011 or 2012.

The Spaceport America, previously called the Southwest Regional Spaceport, is located in New Mexico, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Las Cruces and around 30 miles (48 kilometers) east of Truth or Consequences.

The facility is called the "world's first purpose-built commercial spaceport."

Learn more on page two.