E-mail Story
Print Friendly
Send E-mail
Reprint story
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Spaceport Groundbreaking This Week
By Rene Romo
Journal Southern Bureau
LAS CRUCES — Public ceremonies marking the groundbreaking of the construction of Spaceport America will be held here Thursday evening and Friday morning in Truth or Consequences.
The highlight of the festivities will be a flyover Friday morning of the southern New Mexico communities by WhiteKnightTwo, the double-hulled mothership designed for Virgin Galactic to ferry a rocket-powered capsule to an altitude of 48,000 feet.
In an actual suborbital flight, the mothership would release the capsule, which would then rocket six passengers to the edge of space before gliding back to the spaceport.
"It will be a memorable moment," said Spaceport Authority executive director Steve Landeene of Friday's flyover.
The Las Cruces-based ceremonies, to be held from 5:15 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday in front of Hadley Hall on the New Mexico State University Horseshoe, include speeches by dignitaries including Gov. Bill Richardson and Virgin Galactic commercial director Stephen Attenborough, a 7 p.m. concert by band Liquid Cheese, spacecraft displays, games for kids and a tethered 190-foot tall hot-air balloon shaped like a space shuttle.
On Friday, the public is invited to an 8 a.m. breakfast at Ralph Edwards Park in Truth or Consequences.
The actual construction of the spaceport runway is not expected to occur until mid-July.
WhiteKnightTwo, flying from the Mojave Desert in California, is expected to be visible over New Mexico between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
You also can send comments via our comment form
|
|
