In the wake of the controversy over the visitor's center, Spaceport America officially opened their Spaceport Visitor’s Experience, Wednesday, with their official tour operator Follow the Sun Tours.
Politicians, business leaders, students, and educators were present for the grand opening of the Spaceport America Visitor’s Experience beginning at the new interim visitor’s center in Truth or Consequences, and then traveling by bus to see the Gateway Gallery Exhibit and the grounds of Spaceport America with a replica of the Virgin Galactic Spaceship.
Christine Anderson, executive director of Spaceport America, says they are expecting about 12,00 visitor’s the first year with the numbers increasing as activity increases at the Spaceport.
“It will pick up when the space activities pick up,” Anderson said. “So, for example, when Virgin flys that year I expect a huge uptick in tourists coming to Spaceport America, and as there ops tempo get more and more like every week, and tourists will know I can almost guarantee I’m going to see a flight from Virgin Galactic then of course the tourism will pick up.”
Virgin Galactic has still yet to give a time frame as to when they will move full time operations to spaceport America.
Ron Rosano already has his ticket for a flight to space; he says he knows people are anxious to see the flights.
“I got a questionnaire from Virgin Galactic a few years ago,” Rosano said. “Asking ‘how many people do you expect to come to the launch with you,’ I said probably my, mom, my sister, my wife, my two kids for sure maybe a few friends. And I think I was underestimated because now as I’m talking to more and more people and more and more friends that say I want to be there when you fly.”
Rebecca Bartoo is a 6th grade science teacher at truth or consequences middle school, she says she’s brought students out several times over the past few years and thinks the experience will help encourage kids to study science and math.
“I think it’s a great learning opportunity for them,” Bartoo said. “I think the video on the bus on the way out here was a nice glimpse of the past, and then you get here and this is a glimpse of the future, and there is going to be jobs here that we can’t even prepare them for yet. So, I think that the gallery where the G-Shock ride and all those different things, I think kids will really dig that and it will open there eyes to this is not just an agricultural community.”
Las Cruces Mayor Pro Tem Greg Smith says he thinks there will be a growth in tourism, and hopes Las Cruces is able to benefit.
“There are those people who are interested in Space, interested in what’s in New Mexico, interested in a variety of things,” Smith said. “So, I think it reaches across a lot of different levels and a lot of different interests, and it will be something that will draw tourists. It certainly will help if we get our south road finished, so that people can come up from Las Cruces as well. I was talking with one of the commissioners here, and he was saying this is great for Truth or Consequences, but we can’t possibly handle all of the traffic, we really do need Las Cruces to be connected in as well.”
For ticket information for the Visitor’s experience visit spaceportamerica.com/experience.
