LAS CRUCES, NM - Officials from the New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) in Las Cruces announced that they would begin offering paid public hardhat tours of the Spaceport America construction site beginning December 2009. The announcement came at the International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight (ISPCS). As part of its program, registered participants took a private hardhat tour of the spaceport site on Friday, October 23.

The tours will highlight New Mexico history spanning from Spanish conquistores and pioneer rocket research to the new commercial space industry. Tour participants will receive an on-site tour of the construction site including the runway and vertical launch facility. Tour details and reservation forms will be available on the Spaceport America website by mid- November.

Now in its fifth year, ISPCS is an annual symposium sponsored by New Mexico State University's New Mexico Space Grant Consortium to promote the growing global commercial spaceflight industry. Registered participants departed via bus from Las Cruces on Friday morning, arriving at Spaceport America at 1:30 pm. NMSA Executive Director Steve Landeene led the tour. Guests toured the construction site, the 10,000-foot runway that is currently under construction, and current launch facilities.

Spaceport America is the world's first purpose-built commercial space facility. Spaceport America has been working closely with leading aerospace firms such as Virgin Galactic, Lockheed Martin, Moog-FTS, UP Aerospace, and Armadillo Aerospace to develop commercial spaceflight. Spaceport America's 10,000-foot long runway is now under construction and is expected to be complete by late summer 2010 with the Terminal Hangar Facility projected to be complete by early 2011.

Copyright 2009 New Mexico Spaceport Authority. All rights reserved. From http://www.spaceportamerica.com.
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