The Troubled Future Of The World's First Commercial Spaceport

Feb. 23, 2015
Late last week, a proposal passed through the state senate that New Mexico should consider selling off what many believe to be a $220 million burden.

Completed in October 2011, Spaceport America is an 18,000 acre commercial spaceport—the first of its kind in the world—that was going to be a major hub for SpaceX and Virgin Galactic, as each company toils away on developing the future of private spaceflight. It's been more than three years since opening, and New Mexico is still waiting for the payoff.

And it seems some in New Mexico's state legislature are running out of patience. Late last week, a proposal passed through the state senate that New Mexico should consider selling off what many believe to be a $220 million burden. Here's what one senator had to say on the possible sale, according to AP:

"I'm beginning to fear that the spaceport is a white elephant that was given to us by a former governor and an international billionaire, and if we're not careful, all our hay is going to be eaten."

The international billionaire supposedly interested in New Mexico's hay is Richard Branson, whose Virgin Galactic space outfit was supposed to be a major partner of the spaceport. But that partnership has been steadily delayed year after year, and right when things seems to be edging closer to Virgin Galactic's arrival in New Mexico, SpaceShipTwo crashed in late October, pushing back VG's arrival even further.

More details here.