Spaceport Gets $250,000 Grant For Rolling, Vertical Launch Facility

Spaceport America was awarded nearly $250,000 to help acquire a roll-back vehicle integration building to prepare space vehicles for vertical launch.

U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman announced Thursday that the Federal Aviation Administration awarded a $249,378 grant to the New Mexico Spaceport Authority.

The new building will be large enough to accommodate the larger vehicles that are under development and will also be on a rail system that can be rolled back from the vehicle to help maintain dimensional stability.

“This investment in the New Mexico spaceport is also an investment in the local economy,” Bingaman said.