Dona Ana County officials continue to back Spaceport America

Spaceport America has been under increasing scrutiny, but Dona Ana county officials said Tuesday that they’re behind the project and mission.
County commissioners got the chance to question the spaceport’s executive director Christine Anderson on the big issues, including what it will take to get the spaceport supporting itself.

“We’re starting in on our visitors side, which will bring in more revenue,” Anderson said. “And we’re also diversifying our business space a little more, so stay tuned on that. But that’s definitely a goal, and I don’t have a crystal ball that gives me an accurate answer, but I would say in the next few years.”

The lack of money generated by the spaceport is a hot topic because Dona Ana county taxpayers are currently paying $8 million a year for a bond that paid for its creation. Anderson said that since January 2013, the spaceport has made about $2.9 million in tenant fees.

The concern over the income and feasibility of the spaceport is increasing lately due in part to major setbacks with anchor tenant Virgin Galactic. As ABC-7 reported last year, Virgin’s SpaceShipTwo crashed in October, causing people to question if the company is even ready to provide space travel for the general public. The New Mexico legislature is even considering bills that would sell the spaceport and scrap the entire idea all together.

But Dona Ana county commissioners are still behind it, and calling for more investment in Spaceport America and its infrastructure. Commission chair Billy Garrett is all for a project to improve the main road to the spaceport, and eventually build an interstate interchange in Upham to make it easier for everyone to get there.

“We get that kind of thing in place,” Garrett said. “And it will be real clear to some of the big businesses that can use this facility that we’re serious about wanting their business.”

Garrett said that doing those improvements, and continuing to commit to Spaceport America, will change everything.

“If you look at bringing in big tour busses and semis bringing missile parts and all that sort of thing,” Garrett said. “Trying to get through that particular interchange is just a little farm overpass. That’s all it is. And this needs to be changed.”

Garrett added that while he and commissioners support the spaceport, getting it to full capacity and contributing to the economy are major issues that will continue to need work.