Posts Tagged ‘Aerospace’

Release courtesy of the Governor’s Office

 SANTA FE – Governor Susana Martinez made the following statement after receiving notification that global electronics manufacturer TE Connectivity will merge two distribution and manufacturing centers in the southwest United States into a single facility in Santa Teresa. Governor Martinez and Economic Development Secretary-designate Jon Barela both met personally with representatives from TE Connectivity to encourage them to expand their operations in New Mexico and contribute to the state’s growing economy along the southern border.

“As we work to encourage economic growth in and attract new businesses to our state, I’m pleased that TE Connectivity has decided to expand in Santa Teresa,” said Governor Martinez. “Continuing to foster a friendlier environment that encourages growth and investment will send a signal that New Mexico is open for business. This announcement is an important development and I am committed to further encouraging growth and expansion as we work to turn New Mexico’s economy around.”

“New Mexico can and should be an attractive destination for businesses to grow and expand,” added Secretary Barela. “TE Connectivity’s decision to centralize their operations in Santa Teresa is a great step forward for economic development in our state. This administration remains committed to creating a friendlier business environment so we can continue to attract businesses and create jobs in New Mexico.”

Governor Martinez and Secretary Barela met with TE Connectivity executives in Albuquerque over the summer and encouraged them to consider merging their southwestern facilities in Santa Teresa. As a result, Southern New Mexico will house the company’s largest distribution and manufacturing center in the United States.

“Our conversations with Governor Martinez and her administration were very encouraging as we were making the decision to expand operations in Santa Teresa,” said Joann Piccolo, Vice President of Global Government Affairs for TE Connectivity. “We are grateful for the guidance provided by Governor Martinez and Secretary Barela and we look forward to a long and successful presence in Southern New Mexico.”

TE Connectivity designs and manufactures over 500,000 products and employs nearly 100,000 workers. Their partners include customers in a wide range of industries, including consumer electronics, energy, healthcare, automotive, aerospace, and communications networks.

Release courtesy of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority

UPHAM, NM – Virgin Galactic and sister aerospace production company The Spaceship Company (TSC) has announced that they will co-host the first-ever “Industry Day” in cooperation with the New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) at Spaceport America on Tuesday, October 18. The NMSA said that the Industry Day event, which is by Virgin Galactic invitation only, is designed to educate potential suppliers on the type of goods and services that will be needed by the two companies as commercial space travel becomes a reality in New Mexico.

The daylong event will include presentations by Virgin Galactic President and CEO George Whitesides; New Mexico Department of Economic Development Cabinet Secretary Jon Barela; and NMSA Executive Director Christine Anderson. Attendees will have a unique opportunity to see the WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo vehicles up close in their new home at Spaceport America.

“Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company are looking to create relationships with local, regional and global suppliers to support their operations at Spaceport America,” said Christine Anderson, NMSA Executive Director. “The organizers of this event have stated their intention to hire locally as much as possible, which is good news for New Mexico companies.” Interested suppliers are encouraged by Virgin Galactic to complete an online registration form at http://www.virgingalactic.com/news/item/virgin-galactic-industry-day/ to express their desire to attend the event and to become a Virgin Galactic and/or TSC supplier. Virgin Galactic will select the final guest list prior to emailing invitations.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for companies ranging from local New Mexico firms to national corporations to understand our unique needs for goods and services, including our requirements in building and servicing multiple commercial spaceships as the market further develops,” said Virgin Galactic’s President and CEO George Whitesides. “Our intention is to establish these relationships and emphasize our desire to hire locally as much as possible.”

New Mexico Department of Economic Development Cabinet Secretary Jon Barela encourages New Mexico businesses to register their interest in attending online. “New Mexico has a vast pool of available aerospace and related industry talent due to White Sands Missile Range, our national laboratories, Holloman, Kirtland, and Cannon Air Force bases, and many other resources statewide. This is a great time for New Mexico to take advantage of these unique opportunities.”

About Spaceport America

Spaceport America has been providing commercial launch services since 2006.  Phase One of the construction for the spaceport is expected to be complete in late 2011.  Phase Two of the construction and pre-operations activities has recently been initiated, including the development of a world-class Visitors Experience for students, tourists and space launch customers.

The State of New Mexico entered into a 20-year lease agreement with Virgin Galactic, Spaceport America’s anchor tenant.

Officials at Spaceport America have been working closely with entrepreneurial space leaders like Virgin Galactic, UP Aerospace, and Armadillo Aerospace, as well as established aerospace firms like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Moog-FTS to develop commercial spaceflight at the new facility.  The economic impact of launches, tourism and new construction at Spaceport America are already delivering on the promise of economic development to the people of New Mexico.

Facebook: Spaceport America, or follow us on Twitter: @Spaceport_NM

About Virgin Galactic 

Virgin Galactic is on track to be the world’s first commercial spaceline. The new spaceship (VSS Enterprise) and Mother ship (VMS Eve) are both being developed for Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic by Mojave-based Scaled Composites. Founded by Burt Rutan, Scaled developed SpaceShipOne, which in 2004 claimed the $10 million Ansari X Prize as the world’s first privately developed manned spacecraft. Virgin Galactic’s new vehicles share much of the same basic design, but are being built to carry six customers on sub-orbital space flights, allowing an out-of-the-seat, zero-gravity experience and offering astounding views of the planet from the black sky of space. The VSS Enterprise test flight program will continue through 2011, prior to commercial operations, which will be based at Virgin Galactic’s future headquarters at Spaceport America in New Mexico.

About The Spaceship Company

The Spaceship Company (TSC) is a recently formed aerospace production company founded by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and Scaled Composites.  TSC will build the world’s first fleet of commercial spaceships and carrier aircraft, which will allow widespread space travel to become a reality. TSC has contracted with Scaled Composites to develop and build a suborbital space flight system comprised of WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo, and is now taking these designs into commercial production.

NMSA Media relations: David Wilson                   

p: 575-640-8228                                                               

e: dwilson@zianet.com

Release courtesy of NMSU News Center

Writer: Justin Bannister, 575-646-5981, jbannist@nmsu.edu

Contact: Dawn Hommer, 575-646-5213, dhommer@nmsu.edu

New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Center has agreed to work with White Sands Missile Range to pursue potential business development opportunities in the fields of national security, space and aerospace, alternative energy initiatives and technologies with both military and civilian applications.

“This agreement between NMSU and White Sands Missile Range will not only allow collaboration between two of the largest economic development engines in Southern New Mexico, but also establish the groundwork for new and exciting economic development opportunities,” said Garrey Carruthers, NMSU’s vice president for economic development and dean of the College of Business.

The memorandum of understanding will help the Arrowhead Center and WSMR work in concert in pursuit of potential business development opportunities. The goal is to complement assets, expertise and capabilities of both entities. The collaboration will support the Arrowhead Center’s mission of economic development and WSMR’s mission of research, development, testing and evaluation.

The Arrowhead Center specializes in accelerating economic development within New Mexico, providing enhanced directed learning experiences for students and diversifying the funding base for NMSU. Since its inception in 2004, the Arrowhead Center has completed more than 200 business research projects involving more than 300 graduate and undergraduate students.

NMSU and WSMR have informally worked together for the past few years. This move allows that relationship to continue more effectively.

Release courtesy of NMSU News Center

WRITER: Mark Cramer, 575-646-1957, mwcramer@nmsu.edu

CONTACT: Kathryn Hansen, 575-646-5406, Hansen@nmsu.ed

Photo courtesy of UAS TAAC

The annual UAS TAAC (Unmanned Aircraft Systems Technical Analysis and Applications Center) Conference, arranged and sponsored by New Mexico State University, takes place Dec. 7-9 at the Tamaya Hyatt Regency in Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M. Between 400 and 500 guests are expected to attend, mainly from federal agencies, aviation user groups, universities and private industry.

“We have received national recognition as the best small UAS conference in the country,” said Steve Hottman, head of the department of 21st Century Aerospace at New Mexico State University’s Physical Science Laboratory, home of the TAAC.

NMSU’s first UAS TAAC conference, held 12 years ago as one of the first in the U.S, focused primarily on the civil use of unmanned aircraft systems. A lot has changed since then, and the TAAC has adjusted the conference accordingly.

“The application of UAS has grown tremendously since 1998, particularly in the defense sector,” Hottman said. “We have kept up with this growth and made sure that the conference continues to be a valuable forum for the departments of Defense and Homeland Security, Federal Aviation Administration and other federal agencies, as well as aerospace entrepreneurs. We are offering an eclectic composition of attendees and topics in both classified and open venues.”

While TAAC 2010 remains an intimate affair, the conference has grown significantly over the years; it attracts attendees from all regions of the U.S. and from numerous government and private organizations. New Mexico UAS stakeholders are well represented at the event, including the national laboratories, military organizations, universities and private industry. This year the conference again will take place at the Tamaya Hyatt Regency resort in Santa Ana Pueblo, north of Albuquerque.

“We try to bring in national leadership for the conference, with the goal of working as a group to move forward to make UAS applications and developments more accessible,” Hottman said. “It’s an idea exchange and a place to discuss research and development.”

The conference begins Dec. 7 with a keynote address from Dyke Weatherington, deputy director of Unmanned Warfare in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, followed by Air Force Brig. Gen. Robert P. “Bob” Otto, director of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities with the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance at USAF headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The Dec. 8 session kicks off with remarks from U.S. Air Force Gen. Will Fraser, commander, Air Combat Command. Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael C. Kostelnik (ret.), assistant commissioner with the Office of Customs and Border Patrol in U.S. Customs and Border Protection, will join Gen. Fraser. The day will include a small UAS demonstration.

The Dec. 9 session takes place at a classified facility and is open to U.S. citizens with a minimal secret security clearance only. A complete agenda for the three-day event may be found at http://psl.nmsu.edu/uav/conferences/2010/agenda.php.

To register for the conference or for more information, visit http://psl.nmsu.edu/uav/conferences/2010/index.php. General session registration is $700, and registration for the classified session is $250. The registration deadline is Nov. 25.

The NMSU UAS team emphasizes research, development, test and evaluation activities to address a broad range of requirements and capabilities, including UAS development (platforms, communications, command and control) and evaluations of flight hardware technology such as airframes, engines, communications systems, flight control systems and payload. NMSU has unique capabilities in critical operational elements such as planning, airspace coordination and integration, standard processes and procedures, concepts of operations, human factors and training. The university is home to the only FAA-approved UAS testing space in the nation, with 15,000 square miles of airspace in which to operate.

The Arrowhead Center, NMSU’s economic development center, also plays a key role in the UAS TAAC Conference. The center is working to develop opportunities for aerospace businesses in southern New Mexico and beyond, partly in concert with the nearby Spaceport America, located near Truth or Consequences, N.M. The explosive growth and development of UAS, and the FAA-approved testing space, makes the area ideal for aerospace business and research firms, which also will be discussed at the conference.

In today’s Area Development Online edition, the Borderplex was included in an article entitled “The Southwest’s Emerging Sectors Warm up Recovery.”  The article focused on the renewable energy sector in the states surrounding New Mexico and the expansion of New Mexico’s other major clusters including technology, film, aerospace, and digital media.

The Borderplex (Las Cruces, El Paso and Ciudad Juarez) and Spaceport America were described as “two major facilities” in the article. Virgin Galactic’s world headquarters and the revitalization of border cities such as Santa Teresa due to the Foxconn facility were highlighted as well.