December 20, 2008
Searching for Spaceport America
A news item outta Washington this week, caught my eye, that Spaceport America was approved for launching vehicles:
Spaceport America receives launch license
Las Cruces Sun-News / 16 Dec 08
LAS CRUCES -- Spaceport America is now licensed for liftoff.
Spaceport officials announced Monday that the Federal Aviation Administration's associate administrator for Commercial Space Transportation has granted the spaceport a license for vertical and horizontal launches. The license was issued following the completion of an Environmental Impact Study Record of Decision.
"These two governmental approvals are the next steps along the road to a fully operational spaceport," said Spaceport Authority Director Steve Landeene. He noted that federal licensing was one of the conditions the state Legislature had require for the release of spaceport funding.
Landeene said the nation's first purpose-built commercial spaceport is on track to begin construction in early 2009. Daniela Glick, who chairs the Spaceport Authority Board, added that construction is already under way on the road leading to the spaceport, and the final design for the terminal and hangar facility is nearly complete.
for more news, see Sun-News spaceport section:
http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-spaceport
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The the reason for mentioning this is 'cause I went looking for the spaceport, one day, back in September.
At the time, I was visiting El Paso, Texas and decided to make a trip up to Las Cruces, New Mexico. While perusing some tabloid aimed at local college students (at New Mexico State Univ.), I saw mention of an emerging aerospace industry anchored by Spaceport America. It seemed like a unique spot worth a visit, given my interest in aeronautics and aerospace.
Little did I know that it was more promotion than reality.
I consulted the info. desk at the NMSU student union. They found a vague map on the Spaceport website. It wasn't clear how to get there. I decided to take a chance and see if I could find it using the state transportation map that I'd picked up earlier that day at a highway rest stop and tourist office. The spaceport was marked on the map, as well as some of the roads leading to it.
So I hit the road and headed out of town up I-25. Not too far along (15-20 minutes later?), I hit the Border Patrol checkpoint:
The agent asked if I was an American citizen (standard question). I asked him if they could direct me to the spaceport. He couldn't tell me much. (I guess they hadn't gotten many requests for a place that had only existed on paper -- which I didn't realize at the time.) So I continued on.
According to the map, it seemed that exit #32 was the gateway to the promised land. As i took the offramp, I saw a small white sign with blue letters that said something about Spaceport America. When I got to the end of the ramp, the intersection was made up of dirt roads. Not a good sign, but at least there was a road sign of the town I needed to head towards (Engle).
I decided to take my chances, and keep on trekkin'. To make a long story, short, I was getting a little disoriented trying to navigate with a map that wasn't detailed enough, wasn't scaled down to show county roads in sufficient detail.
About 6 miles into my adventure I ran into a Border Patrol SUV at an intersection with a shed:
I didn't take a picture of the BP agents 'cause I didn't want to increase their suspicions. Of course, I was somewhat curious about them. They'd seemed to appear out of nowhere. Perhaps someone at the checkpoint or some aerial spotter had alerted them about my presence.
I asked them about the spaceport, and they were not able to tell me much, either. They were reluctant to show me a detailed map of the roads. They also said they didn't think there was much to see at the site.
I was beginning to get a little concerned about their unhelpfulness, but as I looked past them, northward, I could see black clouds bearing down:
I realized that I didn't want to get caught in a thunderstorm on a dirt road. (That's a recipe for mud soup or worse.) I decided that It was best to turn around and head back to the highway.
So, this is as far as I got, in my quest to find the spaceport:
I'd hoped to find the site, snap some pictures and post it on this 'ol blog, but it was not to be. (Guess I was a little ahead of the game...)
[The thought occurs to me that a key word to contemplate in all of this is "aliens." Maybe the Border Patrol in the far distant future will have a major presence at the spaceport, if it gets built and becomes a entry point to our planet.
Imagine, if you will, aliens from outer space visiting Earth and having to pass through a Border Patrol checkpoint at Spaceport America. (Or they could land in Mexico and make their way north... disguise themselves as Mexicans, pay a coyote $3500 and slip across the border.)]