Spaceport Sweden was officially inaugurated on Friday, thanks, in large part, to a partnership with Virgin Galactic that would make it the first spaceport outside the United States used by the company.
Virgin Galactic says it plans to make New Mexico its worldwide headquarters as it launches paying passengers into space from Spaceport America, located 45 miles northeast of Las Cruces. The company’s commitment is only verbal at this point, but state officials hope to have something on paper in a couple of months. The state and company have been working for months with an architect on preliminary plans for the facility.
Virgin Galactic’s commitment to New Mexico is what makes the state’s spaceport dream possible.
As state lawmakers are asked for additional money and taxpayers in Doña Ana, Otero and Sierra counties are asked to approve a tax increase to help fund Spaceport America, New Mexico Economic Development Department Secretary Rick Homans said Virgin Galactic’s plans in Sweden will help Spaceport America.
“Spaceport Sweden is additional confirmation of the worldwide interest and commitment to commercial space travel,” Homans said in a news release from the Swedish Space Corporation. “While Spaceport America in New Mexico will be Virgin’s world headquarters and primary operating base, having a global network of spaceports for showcase launches will allow Virgin to expand its business and, therefore, help to support the commercial operations here in New Mexico. Spaceport America welcomes Spaceport Sweden and looks forward to a strong partnership in the years to come.”
The Swedish government plans to work with Virgin Galactic to study the regulatory and operational requirements for launching from that spaceport, then plans to create an operational agreement.
Just like New Mexico aims to build a spaceport that is the hub of commercial space flight from North America, Sweden hopes to do the same in Europe. One benefit paying customers might have in taking off from Sweden instead of New Mexico is that they can fly into the Aurora Borealis – the northern lights.
The first flight from Spaceport Sweden “will take place after Virgin Galactic has established regular commercial operations in the United States and agreed to the necessary procedures to both export the technology and approvals to operate in Swedish airspace,” the news release states.
Virgin Galactic plans to begin launching from a temporary facility in Mojave, Calif., in 2008 or 2009, and will move operations to Spaceport America once construction is complete in 2009 or 2010.
Spaceport Sweden was officially inaugurated on Friday, thanks, in large part, to a partnership with Virgin Galactic that would make it the first spaceport outside the