British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson on Monday officially christened the United States’ first built-from-scratch spaceport, from which passengers will be taking commercial flights into suborbital space.
Ever the showman, Branson rappelled from a balcony at Spaceport America in southern New Mexico, shook up a bottle of champagne and christened it, reports the Associated Press.
“Today is another history-making day for Virgin Galactic,” Branson said in a press statement. “We are here with a group of incredible people who are helping us lead the way in creating one of the most important new industrial sectors of the 21st century. We’ve never wavered in our commitment to the monumental task of pioneering safe, affordable and clean access to space, or to demonstrate that we mean business at each step along the way.”
The dedication ceremony is the latest in a string of opening events, according to Scientific American.
In October 2010, officials held another ceremony dedicating the spaceport’s two-mile-long runway, naming it “The Governor Bill Richardson Spaceway.”
Suborbital space is considered the area above the earth that is 62 miles above sea level, and the craft that will transport tourists up to that altitude are the WhiteKnitghtTwo, and the SpaceShipTwo run by Virgin Galactic. More than 450 people have already bought tickets for a reported $200,000 each.
The 120,000 square-foot spaceport is located near the White Sands Missile Range in the desert 90 miles north of El Paso and 30 miles east of Truth or Consequences.
It will support up to two WhiteKnightTwo and five SpaceShipTwo vehicles. It also houses a mission control center, and a friends and family area, and a public space for visitors.
In attendance at the ceremony on Monday was Governor Susana Martinez and astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
Virgin Galactic and New Mexico officials agreed to build the structure six years ago and Virgin Galactic officials expect that the first commercial suborbital flights will start operating sometime 2012.
Local television station KRQE filed this report Monday about the dedication ceremony:
