Spaceport America – the world’s first purpose-built, commercial spaceport announced today ARCA Space Corporation has selected Spaceport America as the site for its space launch vehicle and high altitude autonomous aircraft testing.
ARCA Space Corporation was founded in the United States in July in Las Cruces, New Mexico. A Spaceport America press release stated:
“ARCA will engineer, manufacture, test and bring to market innovative and affordable aerospace products such as the AirStrato UAS and Haas rocket series from its new global headquarters. ARCA was originally established in 1999 as a non-profit organization in Romania in the European Union and quickly became known for its innovative developments within private space flight. In 2004, as part of the Ansari X Prize Competition, ARCA successfully launched its first rocket – Demonstrator 2B - followed by a number of additional space launch milestones. “
Spaceport America’s facilities and access to protected airspace offer unique opportunities for test flights and experimental operations that complement the capabilities of Las Cruces International Airport and New Mexico State University’s Physical Sciences Laboratory UAS Flight Test Center, together enabling ARCA Space Corporation to leverage the full suite of aerospace capabilities offered by southern New Mexico.
“Only in New Mexico did we find the perfect combination of aerospace assets, airspace and affordability,” emphasized Dumitru Popescu, Founder and CEO of ARCA Space Corporation. “Proximity to Spaceport America and the expansive access to airspace were crucial factors in our decision to locate our global headquarters to Las Cruces, New Mexico in the United States.”
Beginning later this year, ARCA Space Corporation expects to be operating autonomous aircraft testing activities at Spaceport America with space launch activity beginning in 2016.
“We look forward to our partnership with ARCA Space Corporation as the first of many hybrid air and space operators,” said Christine Anderson, CEO, Spaceport America. “ARCA Space Corporation is a perfect example of how New Mexico’s space nexus can be leveraged to help aerospace companies commercialize their technology while creating economic growth for our state.”