Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Sun-News
By Diana M. Alba
LAS CRUCES – NASA‘s recently announced plan to buy flights from two companies that will launch from Spaceport America gives the $209 million project a shot in the arm, as the facility preps for a ceremonial dedication of its largest building on Monday and the overall project inches closer to completion, supporters said last week.
NASA’s involvement adds credibility and boosts the viability of the spaceport, said state Sen. Mary Kay Papen, D-Las Cruces, who chairs the state oversight panel for the project. “We’re not just depending on Virgin Galactic,” she said of the spaceport’s future. “I think it’s something that we’d been hoping would happen.”
NASA booked at least one suborbital flight – with the option for buying two more – from Virgin Galactic, a space tourism company and the main Spaceport America tenant, the company said last week. And UP Aerospace Inc., a Denver-based commercial launch company, announced about a week ago that NASA awarded it a contract to launch payloads on two rocket flights, with the option for six additional flights.
“There’s some serendipity happening, where some of these research companies are finding the use of the Virgin system is a good way to test things and is certainly cheaper than launching rockets into orbit,” said Rick Holdridge of Deming, chairman of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority. “There’s a market Virgin Galactic never really thought much of, but it’s starting to grow rapidly.”
Also, Virgin Galactic – a British company headed by billionaire Richard Branson – said last week it has collected $58 million in deposits from 455 would-be tourists who’ll launch to suborbital space from the spaceport, possibly starting in 2013, officials said.
‘Almost an icon’
About 500 people – invited guests only – are expected to attend a Virgin Galactic-hosted event Monday at the spaceport to christen the $32.5-million terminal-hangar facility, a sting ray-looking structure often depicted in spaceport images. Gov. Susana Martinez, Congressman Steve Pearce and NASA representatives are expected to attend the ceremony, called the “Keys to a New Dawn.”
Monday’s event is significant because the terminal-hangar is “almost an icon” that signifies a major shift in the space industry, said New Mexico Spaceport Authority Executive Director Christine Anderson. “You can say it’s just a building, but it’s really ushering in a new era,” said Anderson, who’s in charge of the state-owned spaceport. “And it’s happening right here in New Mexico.”
Still, spaceport opponents criticize the project, saying that they doubt it will be the economic engine backers claim and that it was a poor use of state Legislature funds. Others take aim at two sales taxes passed by voters in Dona Ana and Sierra counties that are helping to pay for spaceport construction.
Dona Ana County Commissioner Karen Perez said she remains skeptical about the spaceport and how many jobs it will create. Plus, she’s concerned there’s not yet a route paved for easier access to the spaceport from the south. “There’s nothing in the project that has changed substantially,” she said. “It’s a project we’re paying for and we’re still not benefiting from it.”
Not finished
The terminal-hangar construction, originally slated for completion in December 2010, was plagued by a series of problems, ranging from the lack of a permanent power supply to the remoteness of the southeastern Sierra County site to sluggish payments by the state to contractors. Despite Monday’s ceremony, the building isn’t ready for Virgin Galactic to take occupancy. Construction is expected to wrap up in late November, officials said. And a certificate of occupancy must be issued, at which point Virgin Galactic will take over and begin what could be a year of work further outfitting the building.
Overall, the first phase of construction – the terminal-hangar, an operations building, a 10,000-foot runway, three vertical launch pads, the paving of a northern road to the facility, water and wastewater systems and a power line to the site – is about 93 percent finished, Anderson said Friday. Construction on the dome-shaped operations building, which will house security, EMS, firefighters, grounds keeping, the spaceport’s technical operations manager and the Spaceport Authority offices, likely will conclude in January or February 2012, according to Anderson.
The terminal-hangar on Monday will be dubbed the “Virgin Galactic Gateway to Space Building,” Holdridge said.
The installation of a power line to the spaceport site had potential to further stall the project’s first phase, considering a permanent electricity source is needed before the state can sign off on spaceport contractors’ work. But spaceport officials said the line is nearing completion. The power line had been installed and set to go online last week, when a company installing telecommunications accidentally cut through it. It could be repaired as early as next week, Anderson said.
State Rep. Andy Nunez, I-Hatch, a spaceport supporter, visited the site in August with a panel of lawmakers, and expressed concern construction wasn’t further along. “I hope they’ll be doing some catch-up,” he said. “I’d love to see that thing dedicated.”
The Spaceport Authority has begun Phase 2 of the project, which includes the visitors’ centers and a paved southern road to Spaceport America, Anderson said.
Lease payments
After the formal takeover, Virgin Galactic will begin paying $1 million a year in lease payments for use of the facility, Holdridge said. The payments would be prorated because its tenant status would start in the middle of the fiscal year.
“It’s going to be nice to see that major milestone take place with the dedication and the fact Virgin Galactic is going to be taking over responsibility for the facility,” said Jim Hayhoe, president of Spaceport America Consultants, a local company. “It’s a major milestone and it also starts some significant cash flow for the state to start getting some money back.”
Virgin Galactic has begun relocating staff to the Las Cruces area in preparation for the start of its space tourism flights, officials said.
Space vehicles
The development of Virgin Galactic’s two-vehicle system by the firm Scaled Composites continues at Mojave, Calif. In all, WhiteKnightTwo, the plane that will carry a spaceship aloft for a mid-air launch, had completed 73 flights through Sept. 29, according to a Scaled Composites flight log. Meanwhile, SpaceShipTwo had been dropped from the plane 16 times. It lands as a glider. The rocket motor that will power the spaceship to suborbital space after detaching from the plane is currently in testing, also at Mojave.
Symposium week
Also this week, industry officials, government officials and researchers will meet Tuesday to Thursday for the International Symposium for Personal Commercial Spaceflight in Las Cruces. A tour of Spaceport America is slated for participants on Friday. Holdridge said the symposium is a chance to showcase the spaceport. “Are there ways we can get more customers to the spaceport?” he said. “I’d love to see us find some new customers.”
