New Mexico hopes to break ground soon on the world鈥檚 first commercial spaceport, which state leaders envision as a 21st-century departure point for thousands of paying space tourists.
New Mexico鈥檚 governor Bill Richardson worked with the southwest desert state鈥檚 legislature to secure $33 million for the final design of 鈥淪paceport America鈥�, the world鈥檚 first commercial spaceport.
Now voters in the Dona Ana County municipality, where the project is to be located, will weigh in, in a referendum scheduled for 3 April on a new sales tax to fund the project. If passed, the new tax would add $0.25 to a $100 purchase, bringing in about $6.5 million per year.
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If Spaceport America meets with voter approval, a maiden space voyage is expected in two to three years. The project cleared a first hurdle earlier in March, garnering broad support from local lawmakers.
鈥淭he legislature gave its unanimous support to move forward aggressively with the spaceport,鈥� said Rick Homans, chairman of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority, in a statement. 鈥淭hey have given us the green light to put all systems 鈥楪o.'鈥�
New Mexico officials acknowledge being swept up in something of a space race in their bid to be the world鈥檚 first functioning spaceport. 鈥淭here are a handful of spaceports that have been announced globally. We view these spaceports as confirmation that a new industry is emerging,鈥� officials said in a statement.
25-year lease
A $115 million spaceport is planned near Singapore鈥檚 Changi International Airport in 2009, while developers in the United Arab Emirates are also building a $265 million spaceport in Ras Al-Khaimah.
In the US, work on commercial spaceports is underway in California and Oklahoma, in addition to the New Mexico facility, which needs another $67 million to get up and running and also would have to be licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The New Mexico Spaceport would be built on 18,000 acres of desert valley land rented from a handful of local ranchers for 25 years, with the option to renew for successive 25-year terms.
Homans said the state hopes to be able to keep to an 鈥渁mbitious schedule鈥� of getting off the ground by late 2009 or early 2010.
Billionaire airline magnate Richard Branson鈥檚 company, Virgin Galactic, has signed on as the anchor tenant at Spaceport America. Late in 2006, the company selected New Mexico as its headquarters and already had invested $250 million in the project.
鈥楶rofound impacts鈥�
Only a handful of people around the world have been space tourists. The most recent was an Iranian-born American woman who paid $25 million to space tourism agency Space Adventures for a week-long ride into space.
But critics of the New Mexico spaceport project worry about development, noise, and the potential drain on the region鈥檚 already scarce supply of water.
They also fear that the massive project will harm the region鈥檚 natural beauty and could mar the majestic Camino Real desert trail 鈥� an iconic attraction showcasing New Mexico鈥檚 picturesque flatlands and dramatic mountain peaks.
State officials, who say they believe the spaceport can coexist with New Mexico鈥檚 natural wonders, wax poetic abut the project鈥檚 potential. 鈥淲hen mankind is able to live work and play in space, on the Moon, and on other planets, I believe it will have profound and positive impacts on humanity,鈥� they said in a statement.
鈥淚t is hard to anticipate exactly what, how and how much, but clearly there will be impacts on research and development, manufacturing, energy development, and our understanding of the Earth, our atmosphere and how we fit into the larger universe,鈥� they said.
