STATUS UPDATE: SPACEPORT AMERICA

Watch the Spaceport America Groundbreaking

Steve Landeene, Executive Director of Spaceport America.

The Virgin Galactic terminal design by URS/Foster+Partners.

Click on the image above for a tour of Spaceport America.

On June 19th of 2009 ground was broken on a project of historic proportions. Construction has been progressing on a 10,000-foot long, 200-foot wide runway designed to handle any flying vehicle on the planet or returning from space! As of this week, 50% of the asphalt has been laid. That is the third layer of a four-layer process. Next and last will be a 14-inch thick layer of concrete, which is projected to finish off the runway by mid summer. Appropriately enough, the project has been sped along with the precision assistance of satellites! Rapid construction of the terminal will begin soon. In fact, if you were to drive up to Spaceport America in December 2010, you would see the finished airfield, taxiway and apron, and a fuel storage area  – all in the vicinity of a nearly completed Virgin Galactic terminal. Yet another real-life example that the New Era of Space Tourism is here!

BEHIND THE SCENES

A little-known fact is that Spaceport America is being constructed with particular care given to historical sensitivities. The site happens to be adjacent to the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro – the historic 1,500 mile trade route from Mexico City to Santa Fe which dates to 1598. Archaeologists are on hand full time scrutinizing every piece of overturned dirt. If a discovery is made, everything stops to allow for analysis and cataloguing the artifacts in question. Hundreds of historically significant artifacts have been located, catalogued and stored for future exhibitions.

For more information and updates see Spaceport America Twitter and Facebook.

Special thanks goes out to Aaron Prescott, Chief of Staff with the New Mexico Spaceport Authority, the state agency responsible for building and operating Spaceport America.

For more information on Spaceport America, the Virgin Galactic project or to reserve your place in space contact me today…

Barbara King 
(913) 338-2244 
barbara@greatgetaways.travel
www.greatgetaways.travel