OPINION: It's time to see New Mexico as a space leader, and own it

It’s time to take the politics out of Spaceport America and start taking full advantage of one of our state’s biggest economic assets.

In 2010, as deputy Economic Development cabinet secretary, I sat in front of legislators and tried to explain that Spaceport America is so much more than just Virgin Galactic, more than just a private celebrity space club in the desert. Instead, I expounded the future of Spaceport as an important hub for future space research and a vital resource to our state’s growing space industry.

That vision has come to bear. The latest economic impact report shows Spaceport America had an economic output of over $1 billion from 2019-24.

Yet, I read that during a recent legislative committee, some legislators are back to questioning the value of Spaceport America and whether the state should be playing in the space game. It’s the worst kind of déjà vu, one that can really give a gal a headache.

One billion dollars is impressive, but could it be higher? Probably. Unfortunately, Spaceport America has suffered as a political football over the last decade and a half. It’s difficult for a large infrastructure resource to reach its full potential without strong and consistent support.

I get it. Spaceport America was built by a bygone administration. One that may have represented a different political party than you. OK. Noted. Can we finally move past that?

The truth is, Spaceport America is a valuable asset in growing New Mexico’s space industry and attracting new business from all over the world.

Don’t believe me? Ask Texas. I was in El Paso recently and sat through a presentation about the Texas Space Plan. You can imagine my shock when the presenter got to a slide that read “The Texas Advantage,” and showed the state of New Mexico and all of our space assets, including the Spaceport.

Huh?

So, while our state leaders continue the debate over the value of Spaceport America, Texas leaders are out using it as a selling point for the space business they are working to attract to their state. There’s no question for them about the value of the Spaceport and its potential as an economic driver for the region.

New Mexico taxpayers funded the Spaceport and were promised jobs and a better future. State leaders have a duty to see that through. If not, it may be the taxpayers of Texas who benefit most from our investment.

We are surrounded by states that see the value and the opportunity that the space industry holds — an estimated $1.8 trillion globally in the next decade. Meanwhile, New Mexico has the space assets that those states envy.

We were trailblazers in 2011 when we opened Spaceport America. We were architects of a new and brighter future. It’s time to reclaim that. It’s not too late. If we don’t come together as a state soon, that future we envisioned will pass us by before we know it. Then we will sit back and ask, “Darn, why does Texas do everything better than us?”