The spaceport has already had more than 300 launches, according to its website. Every year the company hosts several vertical rocket launches, high altitude balloon missions, other aerospace missions and hosts the world's largest rocket competition, the Spaceport America Cup, which had almost 6,000 participating rocketeers from all over the world earlier this year.
Here are six more facts about Spaceport America
Spaceport America is owned and operated by the state of New Mexico
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The state invested $218.5 million into the project, $142.1 million was allocated by the State of New Mexico and $76.4 million was generated by local spaceport gross receipt taxes.Chancey Bush
Virgin Galactic is the main tenant at Spaceport America
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First announced in 2005, by Gov. Bill Richardson and Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic moved its operations fully to New Mexico in 2019. The company is the world's first commercial spaceline.Chancey Bush
Virgin Galactic's first launch
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Spaceport America launched the first fully-crewed flight in July 2021. Pictured is Richard Branson, carrying astronaut Sirisha Bandla after popping some champagne.ROBERTO E. ROSALES
The spaceport's specs
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The spaceport is located roughly 4,600 feet above sea level, and the concrete runway is 12,000 feet long by 200 feet wide. The property consists of 18,000 acres, and there is 6,000 square miles of restricted airspace for the tenants to use.Chancey Bush
Spaceport America has STEM resources for classrooms
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TheSTEMactivities available for classrooms include educational videos and downloadable activity sheets for classrooms up to sixth grade.Chancey Bush
Tours of Spaceport America
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Dave Mackay, the Chief Pilot for Virgin Galactic, demonstrates how the company's training simulator operates with Jacqui Goddard, U.S. news correspondent for The Times of London, during a press tour of Spaceport America in southern New Mexico on Wednesday. Virgin Galactic will be sending three members of the Italian Air Force into space for a research mission Thursday morning. (Chancey Bush/ Albuquerque Journal)Chancey Bush
