$225 million spaceport to be built in New Mexico

New Mexico and Virgin Galactic are partnering to build a mostly underground spaceport near White Sands, New Mexico at a cost of $225 million. The first space flights to depart from the spaceport are expected to launch in late 2009 or early 2010. More than 100 "founders", those that have already paid $200,000, will fly into space via spaceships designed by Burt Rutan, X-Prize winning designer of SpaceShipOne. The "founder" flights will begin a year earlier from the Mojave spaceport. Additionally, more than 38,000 others have put down a deposit for flights.(Read more)