In an important advancement for personal and commercial spaceflight, the New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) has received a license for vertical and horizontal launch from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation.

“This week’s announcement is another significant step forward for the personal and commercial spaceflight industry and for Spaceport America,” commented International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight (ISPCS) Chair Patricia Hynes. “New Mexico is the home of modern rocketry and we are now expanding our heritage in the rocket industry to propel the next generation of space business across the globe.”

Spaceport America has been working with a number of aerospace firms, including Virgin Galactic, Lockheed Martin, Rocket Racing Inc./Armadillo Aerospace, UP Aerospace, Microgravity Enterprises and Payload Specialties. The NMSA currently projects vertical launch activity to increase in 2009 and construction to also begin in 2009 with the terminal and hangar facility for horizontal launches completed by late 2010.

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