Posts Tagged ‘New Mexico Space Grant Consortium’

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin

By Todd G. Dickson

Part of the state’s spaceport deal with Virgin Galactic is that the company set up its headquarters in New Mexico, and Las Cruces appears to be that place.

Carolyn Wincer, Virgin Galactic’s head of travel and tourism, told the City Council Monday, Oct. 3, that the company will soon be opening an office in Las Cruces as the base of its operations in New Mexico.  A location has been picked, but Virgin isn’t releasing it yet.

Virgin is ramping up its preparations for when the company begins flying tourists into suborbital space 70 miles above Earth’s surface, perhaps even as soon as next year. The company is currently testing the carrier flyer and spaceship, which is launched in mid-air.

Wincer said more than 70 flight tests have made of Virgin’s first spaceliner, including 16 solo glide flights of SpaceShipTwo, a six-passenger version of the two-seater that was the first piloted rocket vehicle to reach suborbital space in 2004. The hybrid rocket engine that will be propelling the passengers and pilots is going through a series of tests, which Wincer said she wasn’t allowed to say much about for proprietary reasons.

Some 500 experienced test pilots have applied to fly for Virgin Galactic, she said. Meanwhile, more than 500 potential passengers have put down deposits for the $200,000 tickets, totaling close to $16 million, she said.

British business magnate Richard Branson is investing more than $200 million into development of the Virgin Galactic fleet, while the total start-up budget for Spaceport America is $209 million. Located 45 miles north of Las Cruces, Spaceport America has a two mile runway ready for the flights and work is near completion on the Hangar Terminal Facility that will house Virgin Galactic’s fleet of spaceliners.

Wincer said Virgin has already hired more than 100 people, many of them Americans, because large-scale rocketry falls under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations passed after the 9/11 attacks.

As work continues to make sure the spaceliner is safe for its passengers – with Branson and his family to take the first non-test flight – the company is now focusing on preparing the on-ground experiences, said Wincer, who has worked for Branson’s resorts in the past.

Virgin plans to fly at least twice a day with each passenger arriving two days before their flight. Those passengers also are expected to bring family, friends and others during their visit, she said.  Virgin is currently assessing what kind of “tourism infrastructure” is available, she said, and talking to its future passengers about what kind of experiences they would like to have during their stays.

Wayne Savage, who chairs the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce’s Commercial Space Committee, said his group is working on issues, such as supporting the tourism experience, but even more critical is trying to make the city a central location for providing supply chain services and other support of the spaceport operations and the companies like Virgin Galactic.

“The good news is that our spaceport is quickly becoming a functioning reality,” Savage said. Operational contracts have recently been awarded to companies that have done work with White Sands Missile Range, he said.

The next day, Pat Hynes, director of the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium, talked about the upcoming International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight (ISPCS) to the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance (MVEDA). More than 500 people – including those key players in developing the private space industry – are expected to attend ISPCS Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 19-20, at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road.

Hynes told those attending the MVEDA luncheon Tuesday, Oct. 4, at the Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces, that there are a number of opportunities for local businesses to make connections at ISPCS.

 Prior to the conference, there will be a Growing Community Partnership Luncheon Tuesday, Oct. 18, at the Commercial Space Exhibit Hall, which will be located inside the museum. The $50 luncheon includes a talk by Allan Lockheed, son of the aviation pioneer who created what is now Lockheed Martin. Hynes said Lockheed will talk about how the space industry will coalesce around Spaceport America – an industry that is currently supported by $60 billion just in government spending. Though a “heavy business conference” attracting attendees from all over the world, ISPCS also will hold panels on creating the supply chain support, Hynes said.

So important is the question of establishing reliable sources of materials, equipment and facilities near Spaceport America that Virgin Galactic also is holding a supply chain meeting the day before ISPCS, Hynes said. “The supply chain is an indicator of the growth of the industry,” she said.

Because ISPCS has become the main annual gathering for those trying to open up this new industry, Hynes said she makes a point to expose them to local and New Mexico products, from its chile to its wines.

One in-state resource that the conference will look at is a center for gliding at Moriarty. Many of the spaceport’s vehicles will glide in for landings, such as Virgin Galactic, she said. Also, research has been conducted at Spaceport America’s sounding rocket launch facilities on winged rocket boosters that glide back to the ground for potential reuse, instead of simply falling away.

The two-day ISPCS costs $649 with discounted rates for active military – $329 – and students – $150. Last year, ISPCS brought in more than $1 million of local economic activity, Hynes said. “That’s a lot of economic impact for this area and this year’s conference will be three times that,” she said.  The proceeds from the conference pay for launches from Spaceport America of student experiments, which Hynes said is very expensive.

The good news is that our spaceport is quickly becoming a functioning reality.

You are invited to attend the Commercial Space Exhibit Hall Grand Opening and Growing Partnership Luncheon on October 18th at the Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, 11am – 2pm. This event is part of the International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight (ISPCS) where leaders from the commercial space industry meet, listen, talk, and collaborate.

Growing the community partnerships is an essential activity as we continue on the path of leading the commercial spaceflight industry here in Southern New Mexico. At the luncheon you will:

•             Attend Grand Opening of Commercial Space Exhibit Hall

•             Meet commercial space entrepreneurs

•             Enjoy lunch and keynote speaker Allan Lockheed

•             Tour Commercial Space Exhibit Hall

The Grand Opening of the Commercial Space Exhibit Hall will be hosted by the Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce Conquistadors. (This event is free, 11:00-11:30)

Allan Lockheed Jr., son of aviation pioneer Allan Lockheed, will describe how the commercial space transportation industry parallels the development of the airline industry. This event is sponsored by Steinborn & Associates Real Estate and the Las Cruces Bulletin. Registration is required for luncheon.

Visit NASA’s Exploration Experience display. This is a visual journey through the past, present and future of space exploration, using the latest in 3-D imagery.

To register for the luncheon, please visit www.ispcs.com.

ISPCS 2011 will be held Oct. 19-20 during Space Week in New Mexico.

ISPCS is organized by the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium, a member of the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, administered by NASA.

Photo courtesy of NMSGC

The New Mexico Space Grant Consortium (NMSGC) has announced that the Third Annual Education Launch will be available to view live online on Friday, May 20. This launch and the yearlong education plan to build experiments are sponsored by NASA through the Summer of Innovation Program. Four high school experiments are supported by the New Mexico Gross Receipts Tax revenue, dedicated to supporting spaceport related education. The UP Aerospace SL-5 rocket is scheduled to launch at 7 a.m. MDT, and will be seen live on the Internet at:  www.LaunchNM.com

NMSGC Director Dr. Patricia Hynes is happy to have more webcasting options than ever this year. “We’re expecting over 800 students and their families and members of the public to be on-hand to watch this year’s launch. We are privileged to share it with the world on the Internet” Hynes said. The rocket will loft 27 student experiments into space. This program provides annual access to space for student experiments at the end of the academic year. Predictable access to space for student experiments at the end of the academic year helps place “going to space” into the workday of the teacher in the classroom.

The student launch program was created by the NMSGC to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs for area students. Experiments include 35 sensors including electromagnetic field, carbon dioxide detectors, radiation, acceleration, temperature, pressure and electricity sensors. Descriptions of the student experiments are available online at www.launchnm.com

The New Mexico Space Grant Consortium is a member of the congressionally funded National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program that is administered by NASA and sponsored by New Mexico State University. The program promotes and inspires lifelong learning in areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics as it pertains to space-related activities. The consortium supports a wide range of projects and scholarship opportunities, including the Student Launch Program.

New Mexico Space Grant Consortium and their NASA sponsors invite you to the Third Annual Student Launch to be held on Friday, May 20, 2011 at Spaceport America.  The Student Launch is open to the public by reservation via coach transportation for $45 per person. Registrants can go online to www.launchnm.com/registration.php to reserve their space and make payment. No private vehicles are allowed at the launch site. Registration for the launch ends on Tuesday, May 10, 2011.

Students, teachers, staff, and volunteers have worked on this project since May of 2010. Some of the experiments flying will be included in the final grades of students graduating from universities. In other cases, experiments are being flown for the second time to improve on original designs. In all cases, experiments were competitively selected, went through design & technical reviews, and were certified to fly. Twenty-one middle school student-designed and built experiments are included in this launch, as well as experiments from two universities, four high schools and one community college.

For more information on the Student Launch Program, visit www.launchnm.com or contact Jessica Ebler at (575) 646-6414.

Release courtesy of the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium

LAS CRUCES, NM – The New Mexico Space Grant Consortium’s (NMSGC) third annual Student Launch is now scheduled for Friday, May 20, 2011 at Spaceport America. If you are interested in attending you are encouraged to register online. NASA is sponsoring this launch as part of its Summer of Innovation program. The SL-5 rocket will be carrying experiments designed and created by students from middle grades through to university level. Students are from New Mexico, Texas and Arizona created the experiments. This launch was rescheduled from its earlier launch date in order to meet mission specifications. Registration will be open until 5 p.m. MDT May 10, 2011.

The Student Launch is open to the public by reservation via coach transportation for $45 per person. Registrants can go online to http://www.launchnm.com/registration.php to reserve their space and make payment. No private vehicles are allowed at the launch site.

NMSGC Director Dr. Patricia Hynes is enthusiastic about this year’s student launch, and welcomes the public. “This will be another unique opportunity for students, parents, teachers and anyone interested in space, to learn about sub-orbital science and engineering education and research. We will launch the rocket with the experiments and after the rocket lands, we will take the experiments out of the rocket and give the data to the student on-site.” The rocket will loft 27 student experiments into space from Spaceport America, culminating nearly a year of development and planning. “Because we want to give students the data from their experiments in the field, we tested the parachute system on the rocket. The system worked perfectly, but we had a small problem after the test, which created the delay.”

The May 20 SL-5 Student Launch will be well-attended, with many local dignitaries and industry representatives on-hand, including personnel from NASA.

The student launch program was created by the NMSGC to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs for area students. This program provides annual access to space for student experiments at the end of the academic year.

Experiments include 35 sensors including electromagnetic field, carbon dioxide detectors, radiation, acceleration, temperature, pressure and electricity sensors. Descriptions of the student experiments are available online at http://www.launchnm.com

The New Mexico Space Grant Consortium is a member of the congressionally funded National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program that is administered by NASA and sponsored by New Mexico State University. The program promotes and inspires lifelong learning in areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics as it pertains to space-related activities. The consortium supports a wide range of projects and scholarship opportunities, including the Student Launch Program.