Building a better spaceport

By Leonard David

updated 6:10 p.m. ET Jan. 25, 2006

With a projected $225 million being spent to create a "purpose-built" spaceport near Upham, New Mexico — expected to be completed by 2009-2010 — for many of the principals involved there remains but one question: what is a 21^st century spaceport supposed to look like?

Bulldozers have yet to start pushing dirt around. Nonetheless, near-term and future users of the spaceport are ready to bring their respective countdowns into the area.

Late last year, British entrepreneur, Richard Branson, decided to park the world headquarters of his Virgin Galactic spaceline in New Mexico and to use the Southwest Regional Spaceport as the company’s primary operating base.

Furthermore, the state’s quest to build a spaceport has also become a magnet for rocket builders Starchaser Industries, launch specialists UP Aerospace, the annual X Prize Cup and the Rocket Racing League.

New Mexico spaceport advocates also envision the project as one of "national significance" — capable of supporting NASA and other U.S. government agencies too. International space agencies can contract with the private sector to loft passengers and payloads from the spaceport to the International Space Station and to the Moon.

The proposed spaceport site is approximately 27 square miles of open, generally level, range land that can be found 45 miles north of Las Cruces and 30 miles east of Truth or Consequences. This site was picked for its low population density, uncongested airspace, and high elevation.

That’s ideal rocket country for UP Aerospace of Unionville, Connecticut. They are readying their SpaceLoft XL rocket for a New Mexico spaceport sendoff in late March. This opening rocket launch is to set the stage for a series of space liftoffs planned for the Southwest Regional Spaceport.

The UP Aerospace launch facility involves use of a large concrete pad holding a hydraulically controlled, custom-built rocket rail that’s painted pristine white "and will be a visually stunning structure at the spaceport," said Eric Knight, the group’s Chief Executive Officer.

Other on-site temporary structures that are to be utilized include a Launch Control Center, a Payload Assembly and Integration building, a mobile Rocket Assembly and Integration facility that moves on top of the concrete launch pad, and a high-tech Doppler sonic detection and ranging weather station. "Miles of roads are also being enhanced to support the operations of the new space launch facility," Knight added.

"We’re just about complete with the manufacturing of our SpaceLoft XL vehicle for the spaceport’s inaugural space mission," Knight said.

"Our partnership with New Mexico goes well beyond launching rockets," Knight pointed out. The UP Aerospace agreement with New Mexico includes providing data about their rocket flights to assist the spaceport in acquiring its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) license. 

The upcoming flight in March is sold out. That is, commercial and educational sectors represent 11 customer payloads set to fly onboard the suborbital rocket.

"We’re booking payloads and experiments on another two flights this year ... and multiple flights in 2007. We’re on track to ramp up to 30 space launches per year by 2008," Knight advised SPACE.com. The SpaceLoft XL will zoom to some 70 miles (113 kilometers) altitude.

As the rocket returns from space it separates into two elements — an upper nosecone-payload section and a lower rocket-booster section — both of which are recovered by parachutes down range. The entire flight, from launch to touchdown, takes about 15 minutes, Knight said.

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