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DailyTech – New Mexico Spaceport Plans Continue, Despite Vote Outcome

Spaceport America will continue construction even though another county has chosen not to support the company with tax dollars

Officials expect construction to begin shortly, with initial plans to open it up sometime in late 2010 or early 2011.  Spaceport America’s presence in New Mexico should help boost the state’s economy, with thousands of jobs that need to be filled.

Spaceport America is working with Lockheed Martin, Virgin Galactic, ROcket Racing, Micogravity Enterprise and other aerospace companies as it moves forward.  Sir Richard Branson chose Spaceport America as the location where he hopes to launch Virgin Galactic spaceliners, which will offer tourists an opportunity for a suborbital flight for a mere $200,000.

Commercial space ventures continue to explode in popularity, as companies continue to receive funding for private space research.  Space Adventures, a space tourism company, works alongside the Russian space agency to send space tourists into orbit, earning around $30 million per trip.