New Mexico Spaceport to start construction early in 2009

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shuttle_guy

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<h1 style="margin:auto0in"><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black;font-family:Verdana">Company chosen to build spaceport</span></h1><span style="font-size:7.5pt;color:black;font-family:Verdana">By Ashley Meeks Sun-News reporter</span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;color:#000088;font-family:Verdana">Article Launched:&nbsp;12/19/2008 12:00:00 AM MST</span><br /><br /><strong><span><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">For more stories relating to the spaceport, extra documents and helpful links to learn more, visit our </font><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">spaceport section. </font></span></strong><span style="font-size:7.5pt;color:black;font-family:Verdana">LAS CRUCES</span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;color:black;font-family:Verdana"> &mdash; Albuquerque-based Gerald Martin Construction Management has been chosen to oversee construction of Spaceport America, the New Mexico Spaceport Authority announced Thursday. </span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;color:black;font-family:Verdana">Spaceport Authority spokesman David Wilson, of Las Cruces, said he was not authorized to disclose the dollar amount of the contract. </span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;color:black;font-family:Verdana">NMSA Executive Director Steve Landeene did not return a phone call by presstime but said in a news release, "There were many quality applicants in our selection process, and we feel confident that Gerald Martin has a level of experience, cost effectiveness and local knowledge that will give us the edge as we begin construction." </span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;color:black;font-family:Verdana">Maryann Myers of the Spaceport Authority said other firms competing for the contract included Hunt/Bradbury Stamm of Albuquerque; Progressive Construction Management of Albuquerque; and Construction Engineering & Management of Las Cruces </span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;color:black;font-family:Verdana">Gerald Martin also built the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway, the Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum and the under-construction Hilton Garden Park Hotel in Las Cruces, on University Avenue. </span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Wilson said the firm will bid out the air field, roads, water distribution, wastewater treatment, on-site electric, communications systems, fencing, fuel storage, a fire station and a security facility starting in January. Groundbreaking is hoped to begin in late March or early April. </font></font><span style="font-size:7.5pt;color:black;font-family:Verdana">Construction and education outreach programs concerning the $198 million spaceport will be partially funded by a Do&ntilde;a Ana County sales tax expected to generate around $49 million. That one-quarter of 1 percent tax will go into effect Jan. 1. </span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;color:black;font-family:Verdana">Virgin Galactic, the spaceport's anchor tenant, is expected to sign its lease agreement by the end of the month. That will be the fifth and final requirement for the spaceport to receive funding from the New Mexico Legislature. </span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;color:black;font-family:Verdana">Spaceport America is located in southern Sierra County, but primary access to its facility will be through a 20-mile paved road now being built in Do&ntilde;a Ana County, off Interstate 10 at the Upham exit. On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration designated the space vehicle launch pad as a fully licensed facility for vertical and horizontal launches, making it the first commercial spaceport to be licensed in the U.S. </span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;color:black;font-family:Verdana">The NMSA expects completion of the terminal and hangar facility for horizontal launches by late 2010. </span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;color:black;font-family:Verdana">"We are proud to be a part of this historic endeavor," said James Mee, Gerald Martin's vice president of Construction Management, in Thursday's news release. "Gerald Martin Construction Management has assembled a superb team that will provide specific and focused expertise to all areas of the project at each phase of the project." </span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;color:black;font-family:Verdana">The Spaceport Authority will meet next on March 22 at a location to be determined.<br /></span> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>
 
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tanstaafl76

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<p>Hopefully they'll allow visitors at some point too! &nbsp;Not sure I'd have the guts to ride a rocket, much less the cash, but sure would like to see the facility in action.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>
 
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frodo1008

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<p>Posted by shuttle_guy[/QUOTE]</p><p>Thank you shuttle_guy, that is truly great news.&nbsp; Especially now when it might be that NASA may have problems trying to sell its own human space program to the new administration. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>If the pure private commercial human space flight people are not prepared to take up the slack in a purely US program, then there very may be NO human space flight program for the US.&nbsp; And that to me at least, would be truly tragic!! </p>
 
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docm

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BTW: theyu got their FAA license earlier in the week. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>
 
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frodo1008

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<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>BTW: theyu got their FAA license earlier in the week. <br /> Posted by docm</DIV></p><p>Yeah, I read that some place else to.&nbsp; It woul dseem that even the government is interested in the success of these private efforts!</p><p>After all, it would be absolutely good for the economy, and therefore governmental taxation also in the long run! </p><p>I do not find that to be an evil as long as it still allowes for good profitability of these worthwhile efforts! </p><p>&nbsp;</p>
 
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windnwar

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I'm kinda curious as to what flight path rockets launched from there will take, and who'll be the first company to build a pad there for a more typical vertical launch rocket. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font size="2" color="#0000ff">""Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." --Albert Einstein"</font></p> </div>
 
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