The rivalry started several years ago and it is escalating since then. While Burt Rutan’s Scaled Composite Corporation at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California surprised the world with their magnificent SpaceShip One – the State of California did not take any advantage of this technological breakthrough in order to keep the space tourism business in the state where jobs are so badly needed.
Stuart Witt, Mojave’s general manager, said in a local newspaper interview that New Mexico is “credited with stealing Virgin Galactic from Mojave”, but the State of California made it very clear that they welcome the business, but there will be “no incentives” to keep the actual space tourism operations in Mojave. The tremendous efforts by the California Space Authority, the Mojave Air and Space Port and the Scaled Composites were fruitless.
New Mexico took initiative
New Mexico, however, pledged three hundred million dollars to build a new spaceport in Las Cruces, which poses a direct competition to Mojave. “We are proud to be on the ground floor of the second space age”, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson states emphatically.
Without any doubt, Mojave is the birthplace of the new generation of commercial spaceflight, which has proven to be technologically feasible and safe. The successful flights of the SpaceShip One, designed by the aerospace legend Burt Rutan, attracted worldwide attention.
Richard Branson stepped in
Here is when Sir Richard Branson stepped in, founded Virgin Galactic and promised to be the first corporation offering space flights to anybody who is able to bear the price tag.
American space tourism was born.
After finding no business incentives in California, Virgin Galactic decided to accept New Mexico’s offer and started their space tourism business in Las Cruces. While SpaceShip Two (christened “V.S.S. Enterprise”) still was developed in tested in Mojave, the actual business of the potentially lucrative space tourism left California for good.
R & D still happens in Mojave
Space exploration is supposed to be a substantial business in the state of California. 31 billion dollars in direct are generated through that, California Space Authority claims. In addition to Scaled Composites, several other aerospace corporations pursue their developments in Mojave. Among them are Masten Space Systems and XCOR Aerospace.
Additional information is available at MojaveAirport.com.
Originally posted here.
1 comments:
This is so disappointing. There was an industry, that with a little care, and just a little time, could have been epic!! But no... California would rather do what California does best, indulging only in endeavors that produce instant gratification. There goes my bragging rights about that.. Harumph!
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