Posts Tagged ‘EASI’

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin, by Todd G. Dickson

With Virgin Galactic developing its spaceliner and new launch testing at Spaceport America, the first jobs created by the spaceport are coming, members of a panel said.  At the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce community update forum Tuesday, Jan. 10, at the Doña Ana County Government Center, Wayne Savage of the chamber’s spaceport committee said the forum was about making Spaceport America bring about the promise of jobs. We’re beginning to see things take place, and we’re seeing opportunities show up, and that’s what we’re here for,” Savage said.

Chad Rabon of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) said the first phase of construction on the $209 million spaceport between Las Cruces and Truth or Consequences is almost complete. To get Spaceport America ready for business with a runway, vertical launch area, several support facilities and the terminal hangar for its anchor tenant Virgin Galactic. NMSA is now starting the spaceport’s second construction phase, which Rabon said includes paving the southern road leading to the complex. It was recently announced that the surfacing of the already wide and well-grated county road won’t require time-consuming environmental studies.

Spaceport America operations are located the Lewis Cain Ranch and is surrounded by similar desert range ranches 45 miles north of Las Cruces.

The next construction phase includes adding more pads and support facilities to the spaceport’s vertical area, Robin said. NMSA is currently accepting bids on contracts to provide information technology and space operations support.

Already, activity at NMSU is picking up for research and development of new systems, such as reusable rocket boosters, with Lockheed Martin winning an Air Force contract to test its design for such a system at Spaceport America.

NMSA’s Aaron Prescott said Armadillo Aerospace has tested more traditional rocket prototypes with three launches since May. Also, Boeing will test a helicopter avionics system at the spaceport, he said. The new construction will provide a second pad for vertical launches and rollback shelter for these kinds of tests, Prescott said. The current Spaceport America vertical launch facility was developed for UP Aerospace that has been launching sounding rockets since 2006 to send a variety of small payloads into suborbital space.

With the State Legislature about to start its new session, Prescott mentioned spaceport supporters are pushing for refining the 2010 law that protects companies such as Virgin Galactic from lawsuits as something goes wrong with a flight carrying passengers. The informed consent legislation didn’t extend those protections to suppliers of the spaceship companies, but competing states have passed protections granting protections to support industries.  “It doesn’t help us very much to protect the operator, but not the supplier,” Prescott said. “This is key for Spaceport America to remain competitive with other states.”

Mark Butler of Virgin Galactic, who moved from England to New Mexico, said the company is making progress on the safety and flight testing of its prototype of the kind of thrilling but- upscale suborbital flights it plans to give passengers for $200,000 a ride.  The craft that will carry the six-passenger spaceship to 50,000 feet for midair launches, the White Knight 2, has completed about 80 flights reaching important altitude and duration goals, Butler said.

Testing has begun with Spaceship 2 more than 15 “captive carry” flights and 16 release and- glide tests, Butler said. The hybrid engine – the world’s largest such engines – is being tested, he said, and the company won’t start taking passengers into space until the system performs safely, he said.  “We are now pushing the envelope on that system,” Butler said. “Yes, this is rocket science, so it takes a while. … This kind of thing does take a long time, and this is the first time this is being done so we are going to take the time to do it right.”

Butler reported that five Virgin Galactic staff members are now using office space in Las Cruces.  Once the flights begin on a regular basis, Butler said Virgin is going to need human resources and financial people, all the normal behind-the-scenes people. Also, there will be people hired to provide a variety of customer services, he said.  The space business goes beyond needing engineers and other technical staff, but also hospitality and other support staff, Butler said. Virgin does intend to buy local supplies as much as possible, he said.

“It’s important for us to get our supply chain to New Mexico,” Butler said.  With $60 million in deposits and more than 500 signed up as future astronauts, Virgin has “a hugely busy year ahead of us,” he said. To work for Virgin, Butler recommended patience and persistence.

Meanwhile, Fiore Industries won the contract for providing protective services to the spaceport, including security, EMS, fire protection and hazardous materials control. Fiore’s Tim Zagorski said the company is hiring people with local experience and subcontracted with local entities such Sierra Vista Hospital and the Las Cruces-based Zia Engineering “We strongly believe in local economic development,” he said “ We even rent power generators from a local company and buy fuel locally.”

Fiore will be looking to buy fire equipment, EMS vehicles and equipment in the near future, he said, and the company is seeking applicants for security guards, firefighters and EMTs. The company will need 15 security guards and 15 firefighters/EMTs, along with some office and compliance support, he said.

Also at the forum was Paul Schmidt of EASI, general services contractor, that will be running spaceport functions, such as water and wastewater, fuel depot operations, electrical systems, roads and grounds upkeep, runway maintenance, generator maintenance and repair, janitorial services, pest control and even HazMat clean-up and removal.

Spaceport Community Forum – Save the Date!

Activity at Spaceport America in 2012 will be up over 2011, and new opportunities for local businesses will be available.  On Tuesday, January 10, 2012, Spaceport America, Virgin Galactic, and key site operations contractors will provide a briefing on upcoming activities as the Commercial Space Committee of the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce sponsors the first Spaceport Community Forum of the year.  The meeting will be held from 5:30 – 7:00pm at the Dona Ana County Government Center at 845 N. Motel Blvd in Las Cruces, in the main Commission Chambers.

Representatives from Fiore Industries, Enterprise Advisory Services Inc. (EASi), and Follow The Sun Tours will be on hand to share their roles at Spaceport America, talk about upcoming contract opportunities, and how to engage their procurement processes.  Program updates for 2012 will be provided by the New Mexico Spaceport Authority and Virgin Galactic representatives.  Information will also be presented on other local and statewide procurement registration databases to assist local businesses in identifying opportunities for growing in 2012.

A “business card” drawing will be held to give away four tours passes to Spaceport America with Follow The Sun Tours, operators of the “Spaceport Preview Tours”.  For more information, contact the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce at 575-524-1968.

Release courtesy of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority

LAS CRUCES, NM – The New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) announced today that Enterprise Advisory Service, Inc. (EASI) has been awarded a contract to provide general services for Spaceport America. EASI has nine operating locations.  As part of its operations to fulfill the contract, EASI will have nine New Mexico resident staff members at the spaceport, while 29 local subcontractors  – 22 from Las Cruces, five from Albuquerque and two from El Paso – will be available to support surge activities.

EASI was awarded the two-year base contract for $630,125 as a firm-fixed price for key personnel and a not-to-exceed value of $1,198,297 that is managed through task authorizations by the NMSA. As its primary function, EASI will develop policy and procedures for Spaceport America’s general services requirements, which will include: maintenance of buildings, utilities, roads and airfield; grounds keeping, waste management, janitorial services, fuel storage operations and maintenance; and the fueling of motor and air vehicles.

“Creating new jobs for New Mexicans is our goal at Spaceport America,” NMSA Executive Director Christine Anderson said. “This general services contract is a major step toward becoming an operational spaceport.”

President and CEO of EASI Robert Carter said “EASI is excited to be on the launch pad of the first purpose-built spaceport.  We are looking forward to supporting NMSA in achieving all aspects of Spaceport America’s mission.”

About Enterprise Advisory Services, Inc. (EASI)

EASI is an established, reliable provider of high-quality technical and managerial services with clients at locations across the U.S. With 27 years of experience, EASI has developed a strong management structure and client-focused corporate culture, a philosophy that has earned many awards and recognitions.

Among experiences and clients, EASI includes handling the operations contract for NASA – White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) near Las Cruces, NM. Other clients include:

•    Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA

•    Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH

•    Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD

•    Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX

•    Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, VA

•    Oak Ridge Operations Office, Oak Ridge, TN

•    Lockheed Martin Information Technology

For more information, please visit: http://easiwww.com/

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 will follow, 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.  Virgin Galactic is currently developing the world’s first commercial passenger-carrying space vehicle fleet, including the WhiteKnightTwo mother ship and SpaceShipTwo launch vehicle.

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.

For more information, please visit: www.spaceportamerica.com

For more information on Preview Tours, please visit: www.ftstours.com

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

NMSA Media relations: David Wilson              

p: 575-640-8228                                         

e: dwilson@zianet.com