Spaceport welcome center planned for downtown Truth or Consequences

[bananas]

Spaceport welcome center planned for downtown Truth or Consequences

October 26, 2009

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, NM – The Board of Directors of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) has voted to establish a welcome center for Spaceport America in downtown Truth or Consequences (T or C), New Mexico. With the support of local residents who want the center to be located downtown, the NMSA has agreed to lease an old fire station from the T or C city government. A welcome center is also planned for the village of Hatch, NM, which is on the southern approach to Spaceport America.

"We budgeted $500,000 for the Sierra County/T or C welcome center, and we will review renovating the approximately 6,000-square foot firehouse if we can," said Steve Landeene, Executive Director of the NMSA. If the building can't be renovated economically, other options for the site may need to be explored. The city of T or C will invest $175,000 to grade and construct parking facilities capable of supporting a minimum of fifty spaces for the welcome center. The fire station location is highly visible in the downtown area. "The people of T or C are doing a great job reviving their downtown, and we're excited that Spaceport America can be a part of it by making this long-term investment," said Landeene.

Currently under construction, Spaceport America is the world's first purpose-built commercial space facility. Spaceport America has been working closely with leading aerospace firms such as Virgin Galactic, Lockheed Martin, Moog-FTS, UP Aerospace, and Armadillo Aerospace to develop commercial spaceflight. Spaceport America's 10,000-foot long runway is now under construction and is expected to be complete by late summer 2010 with the Terminal Hangar Facility projected to be complete by early 2011.

[derby378]

1. There have been a few spaceport projects in the planning stages for a while

Best of luck to Truth or Consequences.

I do wish Texas would develop a decent spaceport plan. We do have the Johnson Space Center in Houston, after all - we'd be a great fit for such a project.

[Hosnon]

2. I have a friend who thinks T or C is some sort of enlightened town or something.

I don't have the heart to tell him how it got its name. (I'm fairly certain his opinion is based solely on its name - although he did visit it once...because of its name.)

[bananas]

4. There used to be a TV game show called "Truth or Consequences"

[cbdo2007]

5. Many people think any city that has natural hot springs is "enlightened" and special and

have healing metaphysical properties and stuff. Could he have been referring to that rather than it's name? I find it hard to believe that anyone who has visited T or C doesn't know how it got it's name.

It was a fun place. My wife and I drove through on a road trip a few years ago. Here is a picture of the sign after leaving T or C that says "Future site of the Spaceport" or something. This was back in 2007.

[damntexdem]

3. Is it true that the GOP wants to change the town's name to:

Spin or Get Caught? ;-)