New Mexico & The X-Prize

Palomar · 2004-05-13 11:10:02

*I thought they changed the name "X-Prize" to something else. Maybe I dreamed that. ???

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/xprize-04c.html]Click

My husband and I pass the blue and white sign "Future Home of New Mexico Spaceport" every time we drive to visit his mother in the nursing home.

Upham is mentioned...ha ha. I wonder if that's the hill with the windmill next to rinky-dink Rincon? If you come to NM, don't expect to even buy a bottle of soda at Upham (as it is today, anyway). I really don't know -why- they even have Upham listed on the mileage road signs. :-\

Will be a very nice boost to our economy, obviously; and I suppose Las Cruces will continue to grow and grow (I can hear west TX and Chihuahua moaning already about water resources/rights).

--Cindy

Rxke · 2004-05-13 12:40:03

Aaaargh... Jealous I am!

(OTOH... there'll be lots a noise, heehee...)

BTW Rutan's SS1 *just* did a 3rd testflight, now reached half the way up... Nice pics on scaled' site, too.

Mark Friedenbach · 2004-05-13 15:37:39

*I thought they changed the name "X-Prize" to something else. Maybe I dreamed that. ???

The $10 million prize is now the Ansari X-Prize, but the name of the foundation and the cup are still just x-prize.

Palomar · 2004-06-24 10:08:54

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/xprize-04k.html]The British are coming! The British are coming!

*Sounds good to me. Starchaser Industries, involved with X-Prize. We could use more jobs in this area.

I'll bet northern NM, especially the snobs of Bernalillo County, are envious. Eat your hearts out (you get the lion's share of benefit from tax revenue in this state anyway)!

--Cindy :laugh:

::edit:: Launches could begin as early as 2006. Well...! Go Brits!!! And welcome to NM.

Palomar · 2005-04-22 12:52:25

*In the "Dirigibles on Mars" thead, dicktice wrote:

Greater Upham will of course require a "bedroom" suburb (Hatch would seem to fit the bill) and industrial park (Rincon) to support its vehicle assembly hardware needs, situated some distance away to avoid the noise of flying launcher taking-offs and landings, not to mention unscheduled crew-return capsule retrieval activies.

There's a railroad track which cuts through that area. It runs just north of that new jumble of buildings I mentioned, to the NE when driving north on the interstate highway. The railroad track is probably less than 3 miles from those buildings, and also cuts right through Hatch (and down into El Paso, TX). It is -the- main railway for this part of the State. Not sure how that railway will effect plans or not, etc. The railway does, when approaching Hatch, "come from" the northeast; but whether further on in that direction it is more north or northeast in orientation is impossible to tell from the ground and without a railway map, because of the hills and small canyon lands and arroyos, etc. I'm curious how this railway will be utilized, if it'll interfere with plans or not, etc.

On another note, though you're a lot more knowledgeable about this sort of thing than I am, yes I'm sure Rincon and Hatch will change as you described them. But where that new collection of buildings sits (which I described previously), there is a tremendous amount of land fanning out from north to southeast around it. I don't know if all that is already gov't property or private ranch land (media mogul Ted Turner owns a lot of NM land, but precisely where I don't know), but we're talking dozens of miles of barren wilderness in those directions. To the east is a chain of mountains on the other side of which is White Sands.

--Cindy

::EDIT:: Here's the best http://www.djcooley.com/rr/maps/an02/an02.htm]NM railway map I could find on Google. Okay, so that branch of the railway comes nearly straight down from the north, and close to the Upham-Hatch area it curves to the southwest.

dicktice · 2005-04-22 18:05:54

Very interesting: Your terrain description reminds me of similar descriptions of the Tyuratam railhead which became Leninsk, and then Baikonur City with the expansion of the Cosmodrome. The railroads with their gently curved rights-of-way enabled Soyuz launcher components to be transported there directly from factories far away.

Palomar · 2005-09-13 10:16:45

Update

*Oh...of course. The kick-off ceremonies are held in Santa Fe, which is nearly 300 miles north of here. The universe revolves around Santa Fe; yes, we must never, ever forget that.

They should have had the ceremonies at Hatch (Upham isn't a town or even a village in the traditional sense).

Ironically I hear/see very little about the Spaceport except on the internet (and I'm only 30-odd miles from it). The local TV stations (El Paso, TX) seldom mention it.

Good luck to all concerned.

--Cindy

SpaceNut · 2005-09-16 06:05:59

Important first steps being made by the Alternative aerospace rocket makers.

New Mexico steps into space The state's regional spaceport sets its first launch date.

Late next March, a 21-foot-tall SpaceLoft XL rocket will blast off from New Mexico's Southwest Regional Spaceport in Upham carrying seven experimental and commercial payloads on a suborbital flight. Plans call for two additional launches in 2006, a dozen in 2007, and as many as 30 in 2008.
UP Aerospace's most powerful rocket, called SpaceLoft XL, can haul a 110-pound (50 kilogram) payload on a 100-mile-high (161 kilometers) suborbital arc. Knight says the company's innovations bring space within the reach of modest educational grants, such as those from the U.S. Air Force's National Aerospace Leadership Initiative (NALI) and NASA's Space Grant program.

This might be a baby step but none the less it is a step.
This is also coupled with the continuation of the xprize in the form of the x-cup.

Palomar · 2005-09-18 21:24:45

October 9: Las Cruces "International" Airport

Mark your calendar. On October 9, 2005 , the Las Cruces International Airport will host the X Prize Cup.

More info

--Cindy

SpaceNut · 2005-09-19 05:44:35

X Prize symposium wants you there

Registration is under way for the first event of the Countdown to the X Prize Cup, a symposium on personal spaceflight that will be conducted Oct. 6 at New Mexico State University.
The symposium is designed to entertain and inform the public about the next generation of space travel.
Rick Homans, secretary of the New Mexico Economic Development Department, will be the keynote speaker at the symposium luncheon. Homans will talk about New Mexico’s role in the next generation of private space travel.
Other symposium speakers will include:
• Richard Searfoss, a former NASA astronaut who was the chief judge of last year’s Ansari X Prize;
• Erik Lindbergh, an X Prize trustee and grandson of aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh;
• Steve Attenborough, Virgin Galactic’s vice president for astronaut relations and grandson of internationally acclaimed actor Richard Attenborough. Virgin Galactic is a subsidiary of Virgin Airlines.;
• Stuart Witt, manager of the Mojave Spaceport;

SpaceNut · 2005-12-08 08:15:36

Virgin space venture eyes New Mexico Announcement on spaceport expected next week

No surprize that British airline tycoon Richard Branson is looking at the NM facility to spring board space flight for sub orbital.

New Mexico plans to break ground in January on a spaceport near Upham, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Las Cruces. Two private companies, Starchaser and UP Aerospace, already have announced plans to launch suborbital rockets from the spaceport. The annual X Prize Cup and Rocket Racing League finals are also due to take place there.

SpaceNut · 2005-12-16 10:22:01

Spaceport: Lawmakers wonder, just how will N.M. pay for it?

State lawmakers who support the planned spaceport in southern New Mexico say they want more information about the cost and who will pay it.
The $225 million project in Sierra County

Future rocketers

The company said Wednesday that 40,000 people from 120 countries have registered for flights, which would reach 400,000 feet and allow passengers to experience weightlessness.

This investment in economic development and high-wage jobs will create a new industry that will transform the economy in southern New Mexico," Richardson said.
Proponents also released two studies Wednesday of the economic impact the port could have.
A New Mexico State University study predicts that within five years of operation, port-related spending could reach $1 billion and payroll connected to the port could be $300 million to some 2,300 people.
Another study, by Futron, an aerospace industry consulting firm, showed the port by 2020 could bring some $750 million in annual revenue to the state.
About 3,500 people could have port- and space-related jobs, according to the firm.

SpaceNut · 2006-04-17 19:50:33

Battle of the new spaceports

The decision by the New Mexico Legislature to spend $100 million or more on building up the infrastructure of the Southwest Regional Spaceport to support future space tourism activities is a sign of just how much some people think is riding on the future of this new industry.
October 19–22 of this year they will be hosting the X Prize Cup event
This will be a festival for the “Personal Spaceflight Industry”, but one could also call it a “Rocket Rodeo”. There will be exhibits, a conference, a variety of rocket flights, and competitions, including NASA’s $2.5-million Lunar Lander Challenge.

Sure sounds like a great time.

SpaceNut · 2006-05-05 20:25:05

Lots of update articles.
X PRIZE Foundation and NASA offer $2.5 million Lunar Lander Challenge; Competition to take place at the 2006 X PRIZE Cup in Las Cruces, New Mexico

The competition is divided into two levels. Level 1 requires a vehicle to take off from a designated launch area, rocket up to 150 feet (50 meters) altitude, then hover for 90 seconds while landing precisely on a landing pad 100 meters away.
The more difficult course, level 2, requires a vehicle to take off from a designated launch area, rocket up to 150 feet (50 meters) altitude, then hover for 180 seconds before landing precisely on a simulated, rocky, lunar surface 100 meters away. For both level 1 and level 2, the vehicle has the option to refuel before conducting the required return level to the original starting point.
The $2.5 million is the total prize purse for the competition. Level 1 will offer $350,000 for first place and $150,000 for second place. Because of its increased difficulty, Level 2 will offer $1.25 million to the winner, $500,000 for second place and $250,000 for third place. If any prize is not won at the 2006 X PRIZE CUP, the leftover purse will can be won the following year.

Lunar lander contest cleared for liftoff; X Prize Foundation, NASA sign agreement on rocket ship fly-offs

The X Prize Foundation will manage the Lunar Lander Challenge on NASA's behalf — with the inaugural contest to be conducted during the X Prize Cup in New Mexico Oct. 18-21.

SpaceNut · 2006-10-24 20:06:26

Third Team Straps-In for Rocket Racing League season that kicks off next year.

"Santa Fe Racing," will be joining
the Leading Edge and Bridenstine Rocket Racing teams

SpaceNut · 2007-04-19 18:54:58

Santa Fe Rocket Racing Team Announces Appointments of Race Pilot and Crew Chief the addition of two new team members.

Dave Morss of Redwood City, Calif. has signed on as the team's Chief Pilot, and Paul Novacek of Albuquerque, N.M. has signed on as Vice-President and Crew Chief.

The Rocket Racing League (RRL) is an aerospace entertainment
organization, which combines the competition of racing with the excitement
of rocketry. RRL is dedicated to providing safe and thrilling experiences
for families through live events, television broadcasts and interactive
technologies. The league's mission is to serve as a technology accelerator
in the areas of airframe, propulsion and spacecraft design, and reach for
the future to inspire the next generation of spaceflight enthusiasts.

SpaceNut · 2008-04-15 06:21:26

This project has been on going for a while so I thought that it was time to break it out from where it was hiden for further descusion.

old news:
While this does not make for total disaster for Rocket racing it sure does not help.
Rocket Racing Team Withdraws from League
Leading Edge Rocket Racing team had been working on this for 17 months

Moving forward:
Rocket racers get set for August takeoff; League’s co-founder discusses exhibitions, business plan and big aspirations

The Rocket Racing League says its rocket-powered race planes will take off for their first public demonstration on Aug. 1 at the EAA Airventure air show in Oshkosh, Wis.
For two and a half years, Whitelaw and his partners have been working to create a "NASCAR in the sky" — a series of aerial fly-offs that would draw in spectators and viewers the way auto races do today. Now Rocket Racing Inc. is aiming to take that auto-racing parallel several steps further.
Six racing teams have signed up for the Rocket Racing League and intend to purchase rocket planes at an estimated cost of $1.2 million. Eventually, the teams plan to vie for millions of dollars in prizes.

Rocket league schedules Las Cruces race

Rocket Racing League officials said Monday the league is ready for competition when they announced four exhibition races will be held later this year, one in Las Cruces.
At a news conference in New York, RRL officials announced the league's third exhibition race will take place at the 2008 X Prize Cup.
The date and time of the race were not announced in a league news release.
Exhibition races are also planned for Nevada at the Reno National Championship Air Races in September and for Aviation Nation, held at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas in early November.

SpaceNut · 2008-04-15 22:17:38

ROCKET RACERS ON THE RISE

Visions vs. realities
Whitelaw envisions a day when throngs will flock to watch rocket planes zoom through a "racetrack in the sky" at speeds in excess of 300 mph (480 kilometers per hour) and rising as high as a mile above the crowd. Video views of the race, including computer-generated 3-D graphics showing the course, would be flashed onto big screens and available via display devices, so that spectators could follow along even when the planes themselves are hard to spot.

SpaceNut · 2015-11-24 20:51:16

Updating for shifting issue and then realized that the topic was started just prior to the great crash.

Lots have happened since this with regards to the COTS program and with space flight in general for the public....

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#1 2004-05-13 11:10:02

Re: New Mexico & The X-Prize

#2 2004-05-13 12:40:03

Re: New Mexico & The X-Prize

#3 2004-05-13 15:37:39

Re: New Mexico & The X-Prize

#4 2004-06-24 10:08:54

Re: New Mexico & The X-Prize

#5 2005-04-22 12:52:25

Re: New Mexico & The X-Prize

#6 2005-04-22 18:05:54

Re: New Mexico & The X-Prize

#7 2005-09-13 10:16:45

Re: New Mexico & The X-Prize

#8 2005-09-16 06:05:59

Re: New Mexico & The X-Prize

#9 2005-09-18 21:24:45

Re: New Mexico & The X-Prize

#10 2005-09-19 05:44:35

Re: New Mexico & The X-Prize

#11 2005-12-08 08:15:36

Re: New Mexico & The X-Prize

#12 2005-12-16 10:22:01

Re: New Mexico & The X-Prize

#13 2006-04-17 19:50:33

Re: New Mexico & The X-Prize

#14 2006-05-05 20:25:05

Re: New Mexico & The X-Prize

#15 2006-10-24 20:06:26

Re: New Mexico & The X-Prize

#16 2007-04-19 18:54:58

Re: New Mexico & The X-Prize

#17 2008-04-15 06:21:26

Re: New Mexico & The X-Prize

#18 2008-04-15 22:17:38

Re: New Mexico & The X-Prize

#19 2015-11-24 20:51:16

Re: New Mexico & The X-Prize

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