Virgin Galactic is moving forward with a new astronaut campus and training facility near Spaceport America.

A new MOU adds New Mexico’s spaceport to Sierra Space’s portfolio of potential global landing sites for its Dream Chaser®.

The team’s first 2022 training site is Spaceport America, which provides 6,000 square miles of restricted airspace, a 12,000-foot runway, low humidity, and 340 days of sunshine.

Congrats to Virgin Galactic and its new astronauts, who flew to space from Spaceport America on July 11, 2021.

Audiences around the world are invited to participate virtually in the Unity 22 test flight and see the extraordinary experience Virgin Galactic is creating for future astronauts.

Virgin Galactic will attempt to launch its next test spaceflight on July 11, carrying founder Sir Richard Branson to the edge of space. Branson is aiming to beat fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos to space, as the Bezos plans to launch with Blue Origin on July 20.

PRESS RELEASE May 22, 2021-Sierra County, N.M. — Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) (“The Company or Virgin Galactic”) today completed its third spaceflight and the first ever spaceflight from Spaceport America, New Mexico. Today’s flight sees New Mexico become the third US state to launch humans into space. VSS Unity achieved a speed of […]

Scott A. McLaughlin, a New Mexico native and a long- time business and engineering professional, has been selected by the New Mexico Spaceport Authority Board of Directors as the new executive director of Spaceport America.

The 2021 Spaceport America Cup will be an online competition and technical conference. Dates of the event are June 18-20.

The New Mexico Spaceport Authority has started preparations ahead of Virgin Galactic’s first powered spaceflight from Spaceport America. The flight window opens on December 11, 2020.

Virgin Galactic welcomed two new pilots, Jameel Janjua and Patrick Moran, into its pilot corps on October 27, bringing the total number of pilots to eight.

Virgin Galactic’s high-speed aircraft would cruise at three times the speed of sound.

Spaceport America’s free virtual space camp for kids and parents, designed to enrich at-home learning this summer, will be begin on July 20, 2020 at 10am MST.

Despite the global pandemic slowing operations and activity, Virgin Galactic has been able to continue with test flights of its SpaceShipTwo in New Mexico.

HAPSMobile will use Sierra County New Mexico’s Spaceport America as a site for test operations and development of a high altitude endurance communications platform.

Virgin Galactic’s spaceship VSS Unity arrived at Spaceport America in Southern New Mexico on February 13, 2020.

Virgin Galactic’s George Whitesides appeared on CNBC to talk about progress, reopening of ticket sales to space, and more.

As Virgin Galactic continues to push toward starting commercial passenger service with the first SpaceShipTwo, a second vehicle is taking shape in a hangar in Mojave.

From AVPress.com: “Virgin Galactic announced a contract with the Italian Air Force Wednesday to fly a science experiment tended by researchers during a flight to suborbital space on the Space­Ship­Two spacecraft.”

Virgin Galactic, which aims to start launching paying customers to suborbital space in the near future, declared its “Gateway to Space” building operational on August 15, 2019.

Richard Branson’s space-tourism venture, Virgin Galactic, is planning to go public, creating the first listed human spaceflight firm.

SpinLaunch, a company that’s developed technology to catapult rockets to the edge of space, will soon to break ground at Spaceport America.

Virgin Galactic’s chief pilot believes the company will be able to go through the remainder of its SpaceShipTwo test program fairly quickly once test flights of the suborbital spaceplane resume.

Beth Moses, VG’s chief astronaut instructor, took her first test flight in February of 2019 and earned her commercial astronaut wings in April.

“My wish is to go up on the 50th anniversary of the moon landing — that’s what we’re working on.”

A November 2018 Washington Post article on Virgin Galactic’s “quest for space.”

On September 12 and 17 2018, UP Aerospace demonstrated their ability to fly sub-orbital launch vehicles in rapid succession.

In its third journey with high-powered rockets (and 14th test flight overall), the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo hurtled into the Earth’s atmosphere at Mach 2.47, more than twice the speed of sound and much faster than it’s previous Mach 1.9.

Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic hit major milestones, bringing future vacations in space a bit closer to reality.

KRWG’s Michael Hernandez reports on Virgin Galactic’s April 2018 presentation to the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance.

Virgin Galactic announced last week that it is planning a big move of its operations to Spaceport America in New Mexico next year. “We know you’ve waited a long time and we are coming.”

The 2017 Spaceport America Cup is set for June 20 through 24, and will bring more teams than ever to compete.

University of Southern California Rocket Propulsion Lab launch of Fathom II rocket at Spaceport America on March 4, 2017 to an altitude of 144,000 ft.

Teams of 12 runners will complete 36 legs between the El Paso Coliseum and Spaceport America.

Video from the 2016 Spaceport America Drone Summit, held November 11-13.

SpaceShipTwo will begin “glide flight testing” before the end of 2016, according to Virgin Galactic.

Spaceport America’s new Chief Executive Officer, replacing Christine Anderson, is Dan Hicks. Hicks is a graduate of NMSU with a 34-year record at White Sands Missile Range.

Spaceport America will host another OPEN HOUSE event on October 1. It’s free to the public, but preregistration is required.

5 new events will be held at Spaceport America in 2016 and 2017. The Open House, Drone Summit, Spaceport America Mile, Spaceport America Relay Race and Spaceport America Cup will repeat annually.

“The Federal Aviation Administration has granted Virgin Galactic a commercial license to operate its SpaceShipTwo — the latest milestone in the aspiring spaceline’s quest to one day fly from New Mexico’s Spaceport America.”

“Anderson had the challenge of keeping the spaceport going without the anticipated revenue from Virgin Galactic, which is still paying its lease, but is not attracting visitors to the spaceport or generating revenue through launches.”

EXOS Aerospace Systems and Technologies plans to fly from the Spaceport over the next 5 years, according to a joint statement.

Virgin Galactic has collaborated with Yohji Yamamoto, a Japanese designer from Adidas’ Y-3 label, to create a new line of apparel that’s ready for space travel.

The close proximity of Spaceport America to the Sierra Grande Lodge & Spa and the Armendaris and Ladder ranches presents a serendipitous opportunity for an exclusive partnership.

The November 6 mission was UP Aerospace’s 10th SpaceLoft rocket launch and the first deployment mission (for NASA, deploying the Maraia Earth Return Capsule).

Tickets are on sale now for a ride out to Spaceport America to watch an UpAerospace rocket launch!

Spaceport America held its first ever FREE Open House on a gorgeous Saturday in October, when the first 200 cars to RSVP were allowed to drive out and see the facility.

Spaceport America has benefitted Sierra County in many ways. In light of the Spaceport Visitor Center opening in downtown Truth or Consequences, we put together a list of the positives.

Video of Virgin Galactic’s Third Powered Flight, which occurred on January 14, 2014.

Beauty of a shot of the Gateway to Space at Spaceport America on Instagram. Photo by isaac.herrera.

Wonderful photos of Spaceport America and Truth or Consequences, the town that sits 35 miles northwest of the facility.

The SPA January 2014 newsletter is out! Among the announcements, Spaceport is the recipient of two recent awards for architecture, one from NAIOP and the other from AIA.

Lady Gaga will become the first ever recording artist to perform outside the earth’s atmosphere when she launches from Spaceport America in early 2015.

Gwynne Shotwell of SpaceX delivers a keynote during the ISCPCS conference discussing the Space industry as a whole, and how SpaceX has grown since its 2002 inception.

Lots of people want to get in on the nascent space flight market. States and locales as diverse as Hawaii, Georgia, Alabama, and Puerto Rico are eyeing the possibility of building a spaceport, but New Mexico’s Spaceport America is already near completion and has launched 19 vertical launches so far.

Did you hear about the September 25 event at Virgin Galactic in Mojave? The one where Richard Branson entertained 300 future astronauts? Spaceport America’s Executive Director Christine Anderson was there.

ISPCS has released a draft schedule for its October conference. Keynote speakers and panel sessions will occur in Las Cruces, but the conference concludes with a tour to Spaceport America.

ISPCS reports that registration is open for its 2013 (October 16 & 17) conference.

As of the July 1 newsletter from Spaceport America, the runway extension is finished, extended length totals 12,000 feet.

“Fine weather and on-time.” Jerry Larson of UP Aerospace described the most recent Spaceport America launch as a success all the way around.

Jaden and Will Smith visited Southern New Mexico in May, as part of a press junket for their new movie “After Earth.”

Spaceport America’s newest tenant is SpaceX, the creator of “Grasshopper” – a rocket that is able to return to the launch pad intact for a vertical landing, rather than burning up upon reentry in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Someone sent us this photo of a Fire Truck at Spaceport America, just because it looks cool.

The skies just got a little friendlier with “Seat-to-Seat” messaging system, a new feature offered on many Virgin America Airlines flights.

An article from the Albuquerque Journal on some of the Albuquerque businesses that have been chosen by Virgin Galactic and Spaceport America to provide services to the facility.

Raton students traveled to the State Capitol in Santa Fe earlier this year to participate in the 2013 Legislative Session and the passing of the Limited Liability bill that was so crucial to Spaceport America’s success.

From the Spaceport America Newsletter: “At a ceremony on-site at Spaceport America this afternoon, New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez signed into law the Informed Consent legislation.”

Video on developments at New Mexico’s Spaceport America, as shared on IDEAS Orlando’s YouTube channel:

Got a need for speed (and a spare $9,000 hanging around)? Then come September 2013, you could be one of only 10 lucky people to get to drive the world’s fastest car, a Bugatti Veyron, 200 mph at Spaceport America. Check out the informational video – and our favorite part, the drivers-seat view of speeding […]

Check out this video of former astronauts describing the psychological effects of space travel. Source: Upworthy.com

From Christine Anderson: “January has been an action packed month. We started out with our 18th vertical launch from the spaceport. We achieved a major milestone–we gave Virgin Galactic the keys to the Virgin Galactic Gateway to Space on January 15 and correspondingly they started paying rent.”

Read the informed consent bill!

Lookin’ good! (We’re talking to J. Crew, the model AND Spaceport America.) See all the photos of J. Crew at Spaceport America here!

Moderator Fred Martino conducted an interview with Virgin Galactic’s Mark Butler and Christine Anderson of Spaceport America on PBS / KRWG TV in Las Cruces.

Ohio’s News-Herald visited Spaceport America in 2012. The entire article (which includes the video below) is here: http://bit.ly/spaceport-visit-2012

Keynote Speakers for the 2012 ISPCS: Lori Garver, Deputy Administrator, NASA; BG Gwen Bingham, U.S. Army, Commanding General, White Sands Missile Range; Robert Dickman, Executive Director, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics; Roger Krone, President of Network and Space Systems, The Boeing Company; The Honorable Susana Martinez, Governor of the State of New Mexico

Spaceport America officials announced that they successfully launched the 10th rocket from the launch site 35 miles southeast of Truth or Consequences / Elephant Butte on April 6, 2012 at approximately 8:18am. The rocket reached an altitude of 73 miles or 385,640 feet – a new Spaceport America altitude record. The primary payloads were reportedly […]

Blog post from Virgin Galactic:”FAA Launch Permit Gives Virgin Galactic’s Space Vehicles the Green Light for Powered Flight“

"Armadillo Aerospace launched its third STIG-A test rocket from Spaceport America to an altitude of about 50 miles (82 kilometers) on Jan. 28. A test of a balloon-parachute recovery system (“ballute”) was not fully successful, but the Armadillo team was nevertheless able to recover the vehicle. Armadillo says its next test launch will go beyond […]

Virgin Galactic’s video of the October 17, 2011 terminal hangar dedication at Spaceport America.

October 17, 2011 – Richard Branson dedicates the "Virgin Galactic Gateway to Space" (formerly known as the Spaceport America terminal hangar)

October 2011, from the National Geographic Channel’s MEGASTRUCTURES Series “Spaceport America: Welcome to the world’s first spaceport where runways take you to space“

August 29, 2011 blog post from SpaceRef.com: "Spaceport America Receives Repeat Federal Infrastructure Grant"

August 10, 2011 press release from the Virgin Galactic Website: “Nasa Selects Virgin Galactic for Suborbital Flights“

July 18, 2011 article from NPR: "No Stranger to Spaceships, NM Builds a Spaceport"

June 30, 2011 article from CNN: “Private Companies Hold the Key to Space Travel’s Future”

The media got its first look at the inside of SpaceShipTwo on March 30, 2011. See the article – which also includes a video of the reporter’s tour of the inside of the terminal hangar at Spaceport America – on the BBC website.

A photo of the Spaceport America terminal hangar facility during construction phase.

Video from Spaceport America of the Runway Dedication on October 22, 2010.

60 “Space Accredited” Travel Agents from around the world visited Southern NM in early October. This photo was taken at the Spaceport America Terminal Hangar Facility.

Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo “VSS ENTERPRISE” completes its first manned free flight:

The New Mexico Tourism Commission visited Spaceport America in late May 2010. This photo is of the Terminal Hangar.

Aerial photograph of the Spaceport America Runway during construction phase AP PHOTO: Dick Woodsum

Tours are being conducted to Spaceport America as construction allows. Cost is $59 per person; tour time is approximately 3 hours. Tours must be prebooked. This video about the tours aired on KRQE News 13:

Virgin Galactic rolled out SpaceShipTwo, the world’s first manned commercial spaceship, on December 7, 2009.

Three lunar lander launch pads were installed the week of June 22, 2009 at the future site of Spaceport America. New York Times wrote about it here: A New Exit to Space Readies for Business

photo collages by Moshe Koenick