The Space Review: Battle of the new spaceports

The decision by the New Mexico Legislature to spend $100 million or more on building up the infrastructure of the Southwest Regional Spaceport to support future space tourism activities is a sign of just how much some people think is riding on the future of this new industry. Some people also say, however, that this money is just a payoff by the prosperous northern part of New Mexico to the poorer south. If so, it’s a pretty original kind of payoff.

In any case, Las Cruces has a good chance of becoming the center of the American space tourism industry. From October 19–22 of this year they will be hosting the X Prize Cup event, created by Peter Diamandis and the same team that brought us the Ansari X Prize. This will be a festival for the “Personal Spaceflight Industry”, but one could also call it a “Rocket Rodeo”. There will be exhibits, a conference, a variety of rocket flights, and competitions, including NASA’s $2.5-million Lunar Lander Challenge.