The International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight was held in Las Cruces, last week.
Christine Anderson gave the audience a quiz at ISPCS to help teach them the lessons she has learned as Executive Director of the world’s first purpose built commercial spaceport.
In order to figure out how a Spaceport could make a profit, she looked at how airports were making their money.
“Concessions, parking,” Anderson said. “I know when I first got the job I called the Sunport which is the Albuquerque airport and I said how do you guys sustain yourselves? And he said, oh boy, we make a lot of money off of our concessions. So I would maintain that Spaceports for a very long time and maybe forever and ever are not going to just be able to rely on Launch vehicles."
She says Spaceport America is planning on using tourism to help them be self-sustaining.
“We think it’s a great place to visit, Southern New Mexico, and Spaceport America is pretty cool, and our tenants are doing really cool stuff out there,” Anderson said. “Everyone is different, but they do have to have a way to make some money other than launch.”
Anderson also thinks the Spaceport will bring more people to Southern New Mexico, like airports did.
“Airports also probably started out in fairly low population density, as well, and gradually as the risk was proven to be low for aircraft, the population came around,” Anderson said. “I remember when Dulles airport opened up out in Reston there was nothing there and everyone said oh gee why are they building anything out there and now look.”
Anderson said any growth in the industry is a good sign and she is not worried about other Spaceports opening up throughout the country.
“I think this is a good sign, if we didn’t have this I would be more worried,” Anderson said. “Because, eventually, you are going to want to go somewhere and if you just had one of two spaceports you’re not going to go anywhere. So, I think this is very healthy, and I welcome midland Texas to the group.”
Anderson said Spaceport America plans to be fully operational by 2016.
