Virgin spaceship taking shape

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Spaceport America
Meanwhile, phased work on New Mexico’s Spaceport America has begun. The facilities will be located 30 miles (48.3 kilometers) east of Truth or Consequences, N.M., and 45 miles (72.4 kilometers) north of Las Cruces, N.M. This site was picked for its low-population density, uncongested airspace and high elevation.

In December 2005, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and Branson, chairman of the Virgin Companies, announced that Virgin Galactic would locate its world headquarters and mission control operations in New Mexico.

Spaceport America’s construction is to progress in two phases. Phase 1 is the programming stage, which includes the construction of related infrastructure such as roads and utilities. Phase 2 will involve the full-fledged design of the spaceport itself.

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“The critical path here is the environmental impact statement and [spaceport] license from the Federal Aviation Administration,” said Rick Homans, chairman of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority and the state’s cabinet secretary of economic development.

“All is going OK … taking a little longer than expected, as should be expected,” Homans said. Extra effort is being taken to work with state, county and private stakeholders in order to design and build the first “purpose-built” spaceport.

“We’re looking at a 20-mile (32.2 kilometer) radius around the spaceport,” Homans said, and making the facility as environmentally sensitive to area interests is a top priority. A draft environmental impact statement for the spaceport should be completed in April or May, he said.

Tenants and lease holders
“We would like to have the [spaceport] license by the end of this year or the very beginning of 2008,” Homans added. Spaceport America and Virgin Galactic are also negotiating the details of a legally binding term sheet that will be developed into a formal and legal lease agreement, Homans said.

The term sheet begins to define the operational structure of Spaceport America, as well the relationship and responsibilities between the New Mexico Spaceport Authority and the facility’s tenants and lease holders.

“It also reflects a structure and a process to establish user fees … the beginning of a formula to do that. We want to develop something that sets a precedent and a template for other tenants in the future,” Homans said. The other thing it does, he said, is set prices for the exclusive facilities Virgin Galactic will be using, as well costs associated for them to utilize common Spaceport America amenities.

To prepare for the start of operations, Spaceport America is expected to spend between $150 million and $200 million, but enhancements would push the facility to becoming a $225 million site in the future, Homans said.

“It’s all uncharted territory,” Homans stated. “The space tourism piece is just the very beginning of where all this is headed … and driving this in a very large way is Virgin Galactic.”

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