New Mexico spaceport almost complete

[Saru]

As the world's first commercial spaceport nears completion the project's future is called in to question.

Currently, the Spaceport can count on two rocket companies that send vertical payloads into space and Virgin Galactic, the Branson space tourism venture that says it has signed up more than 500 wealthy adventurers for $US200,000 ($192,000)-per-person spaceflights.

Read more...

[regeneratia]

Robert. A; Heinlein said that the most economical manner to get into space was to either use the slingshot method or to create an elevator to a platform outside the atmosphere.

http://www.kcspacepirates.com/

Edited September 24, 2012 by regeneratia

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Robert. A; Heinlein said that the most economical manner to get into space was to either use the slingshot method or to create an elevator to a platform outside the atmosphere.

http://www.kcspacepirates.com/

Both those ideas are a lot older than Robert A. Heinlein. Konstantin Tsiolkovsky suggested something similar to the space elevator in 1895. However the Spaceport is being developed for short, suborbital flights and at the moment the rocket is still the most effect means of achieving this.

[Idano]

I don't care who's first, I just want to go

[TheMacGuffin]

Are they sure that it will cost $200 billion? If so, only the government would be able to come up with that kind of money.

[Mr.United_Nations]

Are they sure that it will cost $200 billion? If so, only the government would be able to come up with that kind of money.

Richard Branson would, he is minted innit

[notoverrated]

Are they sure that it will cost $200 billion? If so, only the government would be able to come up with that kind of money.

i thought it said 200k

[Waspie_Dwarf]

i thought it said 200k

That is the cost of a flight, TheMacGuffin was referring to this in the original artical:

And the eclectic hot springs town of Truth or Consequences has been anxiously awaiting all the economic development the $200 billion project is supposed to bring to this largely rural part of southern New Mexico.

However I suspect that figure is the result of a typo, Spaceport America's own website says this:

The $209 million project has attracted worldwide attention because of its bold premise, stunning architecture and the fact that it is home to the world’s first commercial passenger spaceline company, Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic.

$200 million would seem a bit more realistic.

[DONTEATUS]

Anyway you look at it ! Sir Branson Is still the First to put in his two cents. billion ! I meant

!