I haven’t written anything about spaceports for a while; news has been a bit thin. Two relevant bits of information have popped up this morning, though:
- The world’s ‘first’ commercial spaceport is moving quickly towards becoming a reality. New Mexico’s legislature has voted to approve it; the new venture is likely to be largely finded by a local sales tax, and the space port should launch its first flight in 2009 or 2010. I say ‘first’ spaceport with some doubt because, although that’s what the article’s headline says, the writer in fact mentions that our own spaceport here in Singapore may go live in 2009 – which as I read it, means it could beat the New Mexico facility to launch.
- On the downside of space travel, flaming space debris passed within five miles of an Airbus jet between Chile and New Zealand. Yikes.
