‘Spaceport’ set to prove the sky is not the limit

A US state is preparing to begin construction of the world’s first commercial spaceport, built to launch private citizens into space.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and others are preparing to break ground tomorrow on construction of a terminal and hangar facility in the desert situated in the south of the state.

Some 250 people are lining up to pay $200,000 (€143,000) each to take the trip as early as 2010.

It’s called Spaceport America, a $200 million taxpayer-funded project where the sky is not the limit. From the 10,000-foot runway, spacecraft will take flight attached to an airplane, then break free and rocket 100km into space before returning to the facility.

The flights will last about two hours and include five minutes of weightlessness.

“It’s real,” said Steve Landeene, the spaceport’s executive director. “You’re not talking about things drawn on paper anymore.”

The spaceport will operate like an airport, offering a location where aerospace companies can lease building and hangar space.

Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic will be the spaceport’s anchor tenant.

Competitors such as XCOR Aerospace and Armadillo Aerospace are developing spacecraft for $95,000 flights. And as flights become more routine, costs should drop.

Similar spaceport ventures are proposed in Texas, Florida, Oklahoma and elsewhere. Besides New Mexico, Virgin Galactic hopes to ferry tourists to space from Sweden.

Spaceport America is about more than space tourism. Landeene said the facility will also host other business ventures such as medical research and communication projects.

State officials say the site will provide 500 construction jobs over the next four years and spark economic development, education and tourism for generations.

Virgin Galactic and American aerospace designer Burt Rutan are building a craft that will take passengers on the thrill ride from New Mexico’s spaceport.