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Dasquian Belargic
Jun 22nd, 2009, 11:28:31 AM
http://www.shoppingblog.com/cgi-bin/sblog.pl?sblog=621095

If it ends up looking anything like the design pictures... :eee awesome. The exterior reminds me of one of the landing platforms on Kamino :lol


The world's first commercial spaceport broke ground in southern New Mexico yesterday. BBC reports that Spaceport America is expected to take 18 months to build. The photos above and below show the artist's interpretations of what the spaceport will look like. (see link)

The 110,000-plus square foot facility is using green building practices. Spaceport America's terminal hangar facility will be built to the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED rating system. Extensive use of sustainable and clean energy technology will be used throughout the design. These technologies include earth-tubes that will pre-condition the air to reduce HVAC costs by 50-70% and solar thermal panels on the roof for hot water to the embedded in-floor loop system.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson remarked on the importance of the groundbreaking for the spaceport. "After all of the hard work to get this project off the ground, it is gratifying to see Spaceport America finally become a reality," Bill Richardson said. "New Mexicans have stepped up to the plate by making this investment. This groundbreaking ceremony is an important step toward our goal of being at the forefront of a vibrant new, commercial space industry."

Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group launched Virgin Galactic in 2004 with the objective of developing commercial space vehicles that would transform the safety, cost and environmental impact associated with manned space travel. Virgin Galactic will be the spaceport's anchor tenant. Virgin Galactic has also been actively developing the technology to make low cost commercial space access a reality in conjunction with Burt Rutan and Northrop Grumman's Scaled Composites, the company developing WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo for commercial spaceflight.

:ohno

stevenvdb
Jun 22nd, 2009, 03:05:54 PM
There are those who believe, life here, began out there..far across the heavens..with tribes of hoo-mans...

Might as well roll out the welcome mat, if that is the case. ;)

Lilaena De'Ville
Jun 22nd, 2009, 03:10:36 PM
NASA is prepping for more manned missions to the moon, as well. Maybe we'll get to travel to a moon base. :D

Dasquian Belargic
Jun 22nd, 2009, 03:17:26 PM
Screw the moon, there's nothing there! I want to go to either Mars (see: Total Recall and it's three-breasted hookers) or... Saturn, for a sight-seeing tour of the rings!

Karl Valten
Jun 22nd, 2009, 04:04:50 PM
NASA does have the goal of getting a colony established on the moon by 2020 (last I checked was 3 years ago). Granted it'd probably be a research hut the size of a closet, but hey, a colony is a colony.

Captain Untouchable
Jun 22nd, 2009, 05:43:25 PM
I want to go to either Mars (see: Total Recall and it's three-breasted hookers)

My monitor would like me to thank you for the impromptue shower it was just given. :lol

Mu Satach
Jun 22nd, 2009, 06:29:21 PM
I wanna fly to the moon.

Travis North
Jun 22nd, 2009, 06:54:26 PM
Wow!

The concept building is interesting to say the least. Sorta looks like a popular part of the female anatomy, which strangely fits the idea of Mother Earth bearing offspring to explore the Universe.
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