Governor Susana Martinez Signs Bill to Keep New Mexico at the Forefront of Commercial Spaceflight Industry

SPACEPORT AMERICA – Following unanimous passage by the state’s legislature, New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez signed legislation today expanding existing liability protections for spaceflight operators to spaceflight manufacturers and suppliers. The New Mexico Expanded Space Flight Informed Consent Act prevents lawsuit abuse and addresses the inherent risks of space flight and is written to ensure [...]

Barela Outlines New Century Jobs Initiative

Courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin, by Richard Coltharp With or without a fiscal cliff, New Mexico, one of the nation’s per-capita leaders in federal jobs, may lose at least some of those jobs both in the near and long terms. “The federal government can no longer be considered a growth industry in New Mexico,” [...]

Job Losses Looming, Barela Warns

Courtesy of the Las Cruces Sun-News, by Brook Stockberger LAS CRUCES — Jon Barela said that there is a lot of good news for the state of New Mexico, but he would be remiss if he didn’t also raise awareness of what potentially awaits. “There’s a dark storm gathering on the horizon,” the state’s secretary [...]

Group Rallies for Spaceport Support

Courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin, by Todd G. Dickson As Spaceport America readies to complete work on lengthening its runway and creating visitor centers, its anchor tenant Virgin Galactic is helping to secure passage of critical legislation. At a press conference Thursday, Nov. 15, in Albuquerque, the newly formed Save Our Spaceport Coalition held [...]

Is Space Tourism The Right Stuff?

Courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin, by Todd G. Dickson The scaling back of government support for the traditional space program could be reversed if the new private space entrepreneurs are successful, said a keynote speaker on the first day of the two-day International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight (ISPCS). Robert Dickman, executive director [...]

Governor Promises Continued Support for Space Industry in N.M.

Courtesy of the Las Cruces Sun-News, by Steve Ramirez LAS CRUCES — Gov. Susana Martinez admitted Thursday she was preaching to the choir — a standing-room-only crowd of more than 500 people attending the eighth annual International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight, at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum. It was a [...]

New Mexico Laws Could Hamper Spaceport, Wayne Hale States at Symposium

Courtesy of the Las Cruces Sun-News, by Steve Ramirez LAS CRUCES — Wayne Hale, a former space shuttle program manager who now works as a consultant for a commercial space flight company, urged supporters of the fledgling industry Tuesday to continue to push for state legislation that will allow companies to conduct business in New [...]

Space Industry to Meet Next Week

Courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin, by Todd G. Dickson It’s been a big week in the new private space industry on the eve of the main space-industry gathering in Las Cruces. On Wednesday, Oct. 10, a commercially launched capsule docked into the International Space Station, marking the reopening of a U.S. supply line to [...]

Virgin Galactic Gateway to Space Awarded Certificate of Occupancy

Courtesy of Spaceport America The Virgin Galactic Gateway to Space was awarded a Certificate of Occupancy on September 28 by the New Mexico Construction Industries Division. This is a significant milestone. The Gateway is a very impressive, complex structure that has been challenging to build. The result is a magnificent iconic structure befitting its unprecedented [...]

Spaceport Panel Awards Contracts

Courtesy of Spaceport America The New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) Board of Directors approved the award of two new contracts Monday, Sept. 24, moving the spaceport closer to its grand opening in December 2013. The board approved the award of the runway modification contract to A.S. Horner, an Albuquerque-based company that has been doing business [...]