One Step Closer To Spaceport America

space_hippy writes "The next step for a project we've previously discussed has now come around: thanks to a sales tax increase it seems as though the residents of Dona Ana county in New Mexico will be playing host to the first American commercial spaceport. From the BBC article: 'Residents in the US state of New Mexico have approved a new tax to build the nation's first commercial spaceport. Dona Ana County is a relatively poor and bleak swath of desert in southern New Mexico with fewer than 200,000 residents. But voters passed a 0.25% increase in the local sales tax to help contribute to the cost of building Spaceport America. Sir Richard Branson has signed a long-term lease with the state of New Mexico to make the new spaceport the headquarters of his Virgin Galactic space tourism business. The spaceport is expected to open in 2009, and Virgin Galactic says space flights will cost around $200,000 for a 2.5-hour flight.'"

Dona Ana spaceport:

[SickLittleMonkey]

You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.

(Did they choose this place because it has a two word name!?)
SLM

Re:You're Not From Around Here Are You?

[stratjakt]

And don't get me started about "bleak swath of dessert." To know the dessert is to love it.

I love dessert! Mmmmm ice cream, cake, doughnuts, creme broulet, chocolate pudding with smashed up oreos in it.

MMMMMMMMMM yummy

Why New Mexico?

[n6kuy]

You'd think that "Spaceport America" would be located somewhere in the United States!