When most people think of New Mexico, they think of the muted adobe buildings of Sante Fe or the famous natural wonders of Carlsbad Caverns or White Sands Natural Monument. What they probably don’t picture is the world’s first commercial spaceport for launching customers into space; but that’s exactly what they would find in the southern part of the state.
A visionary project of the New Mexico Space Authority (NMSA), a state agency created to develop commercial space travel, Spaceport America will be home to Virgin Galactic’s spaceflight program. Its smooth, spaceship-like design lies low within the desert, blending the feeling and mystery of space flight with the color and character of the New Mexico landscape. Using local materials and construction techniques, the high-performance facility is both sustainable and environmentally conscious.