The AP has a review article on the “unprecedented rush to build snazzy commercial spaceports”, with a particular focus on efforts in New Mexico and Oklahoma. There’s not much new here, although the article thoughtfully includes a comparison to the last spaceport boom in the 1990s (some of the proposed spaceports listed on the map included with the article can trace their heritages back to that previous VentureStar-triggered boom). Derek Webber—a former colleague of mine—suggests that diversification can help cushion the blow of any future spaceport bust: “You’ve got to do your homework because not all states will succeed.”

Speaking of spaceports, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel follows up its earlier article about a proposed Sheboygan spaceport with an editorial that argues that the spaceport concept should be taken seriously. While acknowledging a number of issues that a spaceport there would have to face—not the least of which is the brutal winter weather—the editors retain some optimism about this effort. “The important thing is not to surrender to the mentality - one that is too prevalent in these parts - that automatically smothers fresh ideas and daring projects.”

In an interview in this week’s issue of The Space Review, former House Speaker (and potential 2008 presidential candidate talks about a variety of space issues, including space tourism. It sounds like he’d be willing to buy a suborbital ticket, although it’s not clear how much he’d be willing to pay:

TSR: Beyond participating in the VSE, what do you think of the current attempts to establish private space ventures? Do you worry that if the first suborbital flight carrying paying passengers ends tragically, the private push into space could be stopped dead in its tracks, even if the technology is in fact ready for such commercial use? Would you take such a flight?

Gingrich: I would gladly take a suborbital flight. We should seek to establish standards comparable to hang gliding or mountain climbing and allow adults to take recognized risks.

In the same interview, he advocates tax credits “for developing commercial flights into near space for space tourism”. Tax credits for space transportation in general has been proposed in recent years, but according to Rep. Ken Calvert, who has introduced such legislation in the past, tax credits in general are tough to sell to members of the Ways and Means Committee.