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.
Tha taxpayers are footing 225 million for this "private" venture.
Slutty Spaceport to be built in CA. :o)
Since Calypso Louie has an in with aliens, maybe he could kick-in some money...or the aliens.
chump change......I can think of worse places to spend my tax dollars....like a bunch of do nothing ne'er do welfare cases
If space tourism takes off, NM will be in the game.
if he does this they should cut NASA's budget in half and give the money to him
He sounds like he can do 10 times as much on 10% of the money
I bet he would have us on Mars in 10 years.
I like my spaceports to be a little experienced. You know, the kind that have had a few rockets land there already.
N.M. taxpayers. But is it any different than the stadium playgrounds or publicly funded airports that we build at similar expense? BTW - I don't like the stadiums either, but the justification is no different. If the sports teams and airlines are allowed access to taxpayer $s, then why not spaceports.
Okay a one time charge of 225 million. I'd say that's a bargain considering how much money NASA has milked off the taxpayers for the last 40 years.
It's in White Sands. Never mind that the majority of the rockets that fly there blow up (intentionally). Technically speaking, more rockets have "landed" there than anywhere in the nation (I'm think).
Maybe you can tell me when the gov did a one time anything? With gov funds comes gov control.
Also few companies mover to NM due to the lack of education by its work force. The few at Sandia cannot support production so I see lots of government jobs, project failures and Virgin should have known better.
My guess 225 million in direct case and a trillion in tax deductions.
So that we can go back to suborbital flights?
Heh, heh...
LOL!
I venture to guess that the California destination will be more popular....
How does a private venture become taxpayer funded? That's amazing.
"Virgin Spaceport. You'll never find a more puritanical hive of chastity and celebacy. We must be cautious."
Bump for your ping list.
ROTFLMAO!!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.