Bad Zoot! Naughty, naughty Zoot!
Posted on 12/13/2005 7:35:33 AM PST by The_Victor
LONDON - Virgin Galactic, the British company created by entrepreneur Richard Branson to send tourists into space, and New Mexico announced an agreement Tuesday for the state to build a $225 million spaceport.
Virgin Galactic also revealed that up to 38,000 people from 126 countries have paid a deposit for a seat on one of its manned commercial flights, including a core group of 100 "founders" who have paid the initial $200,000 cost of a flight upfront. Virgin Galactic is planning to begin flights in late 2008 or early 2009.
New Mexico Economic Development Secretary Rick Homans said construction of the spaceport, to be built largely underground in the south of the state near the White Sands Missile Range, could begin in early 2007, depending on approval from environmental and aviation authorities.
Virgin will have a 20-year lease on the facility, with annual payments of $1 million for the first five years and rising to cover the cost of the project by the end of the lease.
"Experts predict that thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars of private investment will be created in the next 20 years as the private sector develops new commercial markets in the space industry in New Mexico," Homans said in London. "Virgin is the beginning and many other space companies will follow."
Virgin Galactic said it had chosen New Mexico as the site for its headquarters because of its steady climate, free airspace, low population density and high altitude. All those factors can significantly reduce the cost of the space flight program.
The spaceport, to be located some 25 miles south of the town of Truth or Consequences, will be constructed 90 percent underground, with just the runway and supporting structures above ground.
Stephen Attenborough, the Virgin Galactic executive in charge of marketing the space flights, said the 100 founder members were committed to "stepping up to the plate" and boarding a flight early in the operations.
"Many of the others will need to wait until the price comes down and will want to wait for proven reliability and safety," he said.
Trevor Beattie, a London-based advertising director who paid for his ticket within days of Branson's announcement of the company's launch, said he was not concerned about safety.
"My only concern is that the longer they leave the launch, the more likely we all are to be hit by a bus," said Beattie, who has dreamed of going to space since watching the 1969 moonwalk.
Branson formed Virgin Galactic after watching SpaceShipOne, a craft designed by Burt Rutan and funded by Microsoft Corp. co-founder Paul Allen, become the first privately manned rocket to reach space last year. SpaceShipOne went on to win the $10 million Ansari X Prize with two suborbital flights in five days from Mojave, Calif.
Virgin Galactic has a deal with Rutan to build five spacecraft, licensing technology from Allen's company, Mojave Aerospace Ventures.
Virgin Galactic plans to operate its initial flights from the Mojave base ahead of the projected opening of the New Mexico spaceport in late 2009 or early 2010.
Virgin Galactic also unveiled its logo — the pupil of an eye incorporating an eclipse. Branson's iris will be used for the final design.
Branson is due to join New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson in the United States on Wednesday to unveil the spaceport plans.
ROFL!
YOU
OWE
ME
A
KEYBOARD!!!
Thank you! Good night!
Virgin will have a 20-year lease on the facility, with annual payments of $1 million for the first five years and rising to cover the cost of the project by the end of the lease.
*IF* this repayment adjust for expected inflation I would not have a huge problem with it (as I said cities build airports and lease terminal space why would this be different)..
"These REALLY aren't the droids you're looking for..."
> How does a private venture become taxpayer funded?
Virgin Galactic is not being taxpayer funded. The *spaceport* is. Taxpayers foot the bill for many airports without people whining about Virgin Atlantic Airlines being taxpayer funded; taxpayers pay for highways without complaints that UPS is taxpayer funded, etc.
Bad Zoot! Naughty, naughty Zoot!
I know nothing about branson as a person, but what I do see is that he is a BUILDER. He builds businesses and makes them work and profit. No wonder BA/AF wouldn't let him have the concordes.
My impression of Branson is that he is a promoter. His most successful business venture was Virgin Records. I don't know much about the financials of Virgin Atlantic airlines, but my impression is that it caters to a niche market for wealthy travelers. Other than that, Bronson's ventures have been more about getting someone else to pay for his adventuring lifestyle. But then most entrepreneurs are 99% salesmen anyway.
Dang....
Thought this was about Virgins from space...
Several states have spaceports, and space agencies.
I got land to sell
The suborbital flight they did is MILES from geosynchronous orbit, or going to the moon or anything.
Still really amazing what he did for the money, sure would have been nice to have more like that on the Shuttle .
/sarc
"Virgin will have a 20-year lease on the facility, with annual payments of $1 million for the first five years and rising to cover the cost of the project by the end of the lease."
Does that mean the state is paying for this and expects Virgin to pay them back out of the profits?
I would have thought Branson understood marketing well enough to put this near Rosewell.
It's only about 100 miles or so (as the UFO flies) from Roswell to White Sands.
"I would have thought Branson understood marketing well enough to put this near Rosewell."
I think the air space is still restricted there.
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