Spaceport America, Commercial spaceport in Sierra County, New Mexico, US
Spaceport America is a commercial spaceport in southern New Mexico built specifically for private space companies to launch and land spacecraft. The facility features a large terminal building, control center, and a long concrete runway designed to support both horizontal takeoffs like airplanes and vertical rocket launches.
The state of New Mexico opened the spaceport in October 2011 as the first facility in the United States built specifically for commercial spaceflight. The decision to locate it here drew on the region's long tradition of aerospace research and testing.
The terminal includes educational displays about space exploration and New Mexico's role in advancing commercial space transportation technology.
The spaceport sits about 20 miles (32 kilometers) southeast of Truth or Consequences in a remote desert landscape. Visitors should be aware that the facility is at high elevation and the sun can be intense in this open environment.
The terminal building's curved architecture was designed to blend with the surrounding mountains while managing the desert's extreme temperature swings. The structure uses passive cooling and heating systems that reduce energy consumption considerably.
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