Next steps for Spaceport America

On Tuesday night votes in Sierra County, New Mexico overwhelmingly approved a quarter-cent sales tax increase to help pay for Spaceport America. The vote was perceived as critical not so much for the money it would generate (only about $2.3 million over 20 years, barely one percent of the spaceport’s $198-million cost) as for clearing the way for the creation of a spaceport “tax district” with neighboring Doña Ana County, which passed a similar tax increase last year. According to state law, at least two municipalities needed to pass the tax for a district to be created, which could then collect and spend the money. Without Sierra County, there was no way to spend any money the more populous Doña Ana collected, which is why that county put off collection of the tax at the end of 2007.

The next step, then, is for Sierra and Doña Ana Counties to create such a tax district. That could be done in the next 60 days or so, although it probably won’t be ready by July 1, the next opportunity to put the tax increases into effect. (According to state law, sales tax increases can go into effect only on January 1 and July 1.) That makes it more likely the tax will kick in on January 1, 2009; any later would jeopardize work on the spaceport.

A third county, Otero, which includes the city of Alamogordo, is next in line to hold a tax referendum. County officials there said they would only hold an election if the tax passed in Sierra County; now that it has, that county is planning to put a smaller tax increase (one-eighth of a percent rather than one-quarter) on the general election ballot in November. Spaceport officials are hoping the tax passes, but said they would still be able to proceed even if Otero does not join the tax district.

As for the spaceport itself, the next major step is completing work needed to receive its FAA license. The major obstacle there is the completion of an environmental assessment, which is now projected to be wrapped up by the end of the year, a little later than previously planned (at the International Symposium on Personal Spaceflight last October, state officials planned to have the environmental assessment done by September.) The license from the FAA is needed before construction can begin.

3 comments to Next steps for Spaceport America

  • […] The Next Steps for Spaceport America – Personal Spaceflight […]

  • Dr. Doug’s Haynes Saucer performs 1st spacecraft spine-up G-1 maneuver at altitude.
    Commander Dr. Doug Haynes, one of the top astronauts, Airline-Spaceline CEO’s and FAA certified aircraft technicians in Colorado takes the Blue Ridge Nebula Spaceline’s Haynes Saucer to altitude while testing our patented artificial gravity spin- up flight maneuver for the first time in aviation history.
    Commander Dr. Doug Haynes, the first aeronautical engineer to build a rotating spaceship who’s airframe does not have to be un-safely reconfigured for reentry events while possessing innate passenger emergency jettison features too, believes that the Haynes Saucers patented flight maneuver success now makes it now possible for man to fly to the moon or Mars in a realistic earth like (g-1) gravitational environment.
    Years ago Dr. Doug Haynes helped his airline (Blue Ridge Nebula Spaceline) avoided the negative impact of paying exorbitant fuel prices which are currently divining his fellow airlines into dept and or bankruptcy, by building and certifying the new flying saucer shaped QC airliner which does not pollute the atmosphere our use hydrocarbon based fuels.
    Back in the late 40’s the airline industry was faced with high fuel prices, low capacity charring abilities, slow moving transportation devices, and a lost of romance in the field. The second wave transformation in the early fifties solved all those issued by reaching into the stratosphere via jetliners. And now Dr. Haynes “Third Wave Airline” coined movement will do the same using the Haynes Saucer’s new FAA certified class of spaceflight capable vehicles.
    Its time to follow Dr. Doug Haynes into the airlines’ “Third Wave” of operations at the upper regions of the atmosphere, and or space flight, where their is no fuel burn in route, or risk laying off employees here on earth due to poor RPM-PPM ratios.
    As always you’re welcome to come along during our leadership journey into safe passenger / cargo space flight testing activities certified by FAA-AST protocols here in Denver or at http://www.blueridgeairlines.com http://www.bluenebula.com.
    God bless you all.

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