Virgin Galactic Reveals Privately Funded Satellite Launcher and Confirms SpaceShipTwo Poised for Powered Flight

New vehicle “LauncherOne” to transform small satellite market, as space tourism business powers into final leg of test flights Courtesy of Virgin Galactic Today during the Farnborough International Air Show 2012, Virgin Galactic, the world’s first commercial spaceline, announced “LauncherOne”, a new air-launched rocket specifically designed to deliver small satellites into orbit. With substantial funding [...]

Virgin Galactic Selects Las Cruces Office

Article Courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin With a building as futuristic as the company itself, Virgin Galactic selected the Green Offices to house its Las Cruces headquarters. John Hummer, owner and Broker of Steinborn & Associates Real Estate , said Jacob Garland, associate broker with Steinborn, represented the project. The office will be located [...]

Virgin Galactic Arrives To Spaceport America

Article Courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin By Todd G. Dickson When Richard Branson dropped over the edge of the glass-walled balcony of the terminal hangar at Spaceport America Monday, Oct. 17, the danger was more for show to the 800 gathered there for a ceremonial dedication of the 110,152-square-foot facility. But after the champagne [...]

Branson and NM Officials Dedicate Space Terminal

Article Courtesy of the Las Cruces Sun-News By Diana M. Alba UPHAM, N.M. – Bottle of champagne in hand, British billionaire and Virgin Group founder Richard Branson on Monday christened Spaceport America’s diamond feature – a $32.5 million terminal-hangar that one day will house the vehicles belonging to his fledgling spaceline – by rappelling off [...]

NASA Bookings Boost Hopes for Spaceport America

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Sun-News By Diana M. Alba LAS CRUCES – NASA‘s recently announced plan to buy flights from two companies that will launch from Spaceport America gives the $209 million project a shot in the arm, as the facility preps for a ceremonial dedication of its largest building on Monday and [...]

Space Week Set For Launching Space Biz

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin By Todd G. Dickson On the eve of a week of activities related to new space entrepreneurs, Spaceport America’s two primary customers – Virgin Galactic and UP Aerospace – have made major announcements. UP Aerospace, the company that has conducted a number of traditional sounding rocket launches from [...]

Virgin Galactic Plans Las Cruces Operations

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, [...]

Industry Day to Be Hosted at Spaceport America

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 [...]

New Mexico Company Awarded Protective Services Contract for Spaceport America

Release courtesy of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority LAS CRUCES, NM – The New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) announced the selection of Fiore Industries Inc., of Albuquerque, NM, as the contractor to perform Protective Services for Spaceport America. The company was awarded a two-year base contract with a not-to-exceed value of $2.3 million and two [...]

Virgin Galactic to Help NASA Carry Researchers

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Sun-News LAS CRUCES – Virgin Galactic announced Wednesday it was chosen by NASA to carry scientists and their technology experiments to suborbital space. The space tourism company plans to eventually launch suborbital flights from Spaceport America, just north of Dona Ana County. “This arrangement marks the first time that [...]