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Spaceport America Gets FAA License
DynaSoar writes "Spaceport America received an early and double holiday gift this week: first, the expected (positive) FAA environmental impact report, and second, the hoped-for but not immediately expected 'launch site operator's license.' With this license, and with the previously accomplished creation of a tax district, two of three pieces are in place as required by the New Mexico legislature to receive its funding package. The third, a lease with a space services tenant to use the facility, may come this week also, in the form of a contract with Virgin Galactic. While timing is impossible to predict, the contract is a virtual certainty. The New Mexico Spaceport Authority fully expects it, and so has projected late 2010 for completion of hangar and terminal facilities. Virgin Galactic also seems confident, as they have already screened and submitted their first 100 customers (called the Virgin Galactic Founders) to their contracted medical and training supervisor. They are busy screening their second 100 'spaceflight participants' (NASA and RKA having decided that only those who can tack 'career' on the front of it deserve to be called 'astronauts')."
space shuttle pilots will have to be geniunely authenicated before launch?
...to name it after Robert Heinlein.
http://michaelsmith.id.au
Comercianauts? Touranauts? (damn I hate touranauts...)
Matt
Until it gets a duty free shop... it's just a meaningless landing strip.
Well, probably "space tourists" til the first couple of hundred go up and down successfully and the astronauts wings given out go from being solid steel with gold plating down to plastic clip on models made in taiwan in toy factories... then I think the media will just call them "tourists".
Last time I went to the USA people called me a "tourist" not an "airplane tourist" or a "USA tourist".
I'm I missing something or does this spaceport not actually connect to anything? Ironically you would be travelling the most distance in your life and end not going anywhere. Anyway, hope this will bring actual space travel to the moon, planets, I would even settle for a station on Earth orbit, closer to most people.
The Federal Aviation Administration will issue a final decision on an environmental impact statement for the $200 million project and issue a license for the site.
...I understand this to mean that Spaceport America/Virgin submitted their application to the FAA based on a cost estimation of 200 mio $...
The third condition was that the project not exceed $225 million, a condition spaceport officials assure will be met.
So, does this mean as soon as they have 10% cost overrun their license is revoked?
I mean, surely no project ever has 10% cost overrun!
Either this means this is not a hard limit at all or there won't be a spaceport. Or the article is wrong. Or I didn't get it. Please someone explain.
(Also, please be sure to point out that 200-->225 is not a 10% overrun or your geek-license will be revoked.)
What I do for a living: Build a GPS mobile game
Who'd go up to check. Just send the bill and say you have, you could charge thousands of people for one container of ashes.
I think that this is ethically questionable and in any case unlikely to be economically feasible for some time.
They deserve to be called astronauts, even if that dilutes the brand.
The definition of astronaut is anyone who travels into space. Space is defined as as certain altitude above the earth. According to Wiki:
There have been cases where, like in the Challenger disaster, they were not technically considered astronauts since they didn't cross the threshhold into space. So far there's been 489 astronauts under the international standard, and 496 by the US standard of 50 miles.
I don't know. I went to school in Las Cruces (NMSU) and Dona Ana county is pretty damn poor other than those associated with either the Uni or White Sands. At the time (~1994) they were just starting to talk about a space port. For them to be willing to take a chance on something like this through a self imposed sales tax increase is commendable. The at least partial funding from the local tax base will keep local oversight fairly high. Granted it is construction so by default its corrupt, but I've seen how the areas has transformed since the early 90s and its impressive. I think it has been money very well spent and as long as it totally doesn't fall through will be a huge boom economically for the area. They've probably doubled the number of Sonics and Weinerschniztles(sp?) in town since I was there and anyone can a test to that being the true measure for economic strength for a town in the southwest.
Wow, an extra Walmart. Now that is impressive for a single town. I think the last time I was there they were just breaking ground on the super walmart which was across the street from the original, if my memory serves me. Little more local guage, but the number of Burger Times can be used as an economic measure as well. I think there were 3 when I was there. Used to live off their Egg and Potato buritos.
I don't know. I went to school in Las Cruces (NMSU) and Dona Ana county is pretty damn poor other than those associated with either the Uni or White Sands. At the time (~1994) they were just starting to talk about a space port. For them to be willing to take a chance on something like this through a self imposed sales tax increase is commendable. The at least partial funding from the local tax base will keep local oversight fairly high. Granted it is construction so by default its corrupt, but I've seen how the areas has transformed since the early 90s and its impressive. I think it has been money very well spent and as long as it totally doesn't fall through will be a huge boom economically for the area. They've probably doubled the number of Sonics and Weinerschniztles(sp?) in town since I was there and anyone can a test to that being the true measure for economic strength for a town in the southwest.
The local tax district isn't supposed to carry the place, it's just supposed to show willingness of the locals, and later when there's significant tourist travel, THEN they'll be able to contribute more. For now it was enough to get it started so NM would fund the majority of the construction. It's a speculative investment by the state, which hopes to see returns if things work out.
"I may be synthetic, but I'm not stupid." -- Bishop 341-B
> first, the expected (positive) FAA environmental impact report, and second,
> the hoped-for but not immediately expected 'launch site operator's license.'
> With this license, and with the previously accomplished creation of a tax
> district, two of three pieces are in place as required by the New Mexico
> legislature to receive its funding package
Actually, they had one and only one piece in-place quite a long time ago. "We're doing this here, and you elected officials are getting the F*** OUT OF THE WAY and letting us do it quickly and for cheap, or we're going to another country and we'll say why, loudly, this cool thing left your lands, and you can face the voters."
If you view things like environmental impact studies and tax regulations as anything other than parasitic memes engendering their reproduction through successful election, well, let's just say there's a hell of a lot more consciousness-raising you need than that deconstructionist crap from the 1960's.
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
New Mexico spaceport, You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villany.
McFly777
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