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A visionary project of the New Mexico Space Authority and home to Virgin Galactic's
spaceflight program, Spaceport America is the world's first spaceport designed with
commercial space business needs in mind.
During the 1990s, the Southwest Space Task Force decided to incorporate commercial
space and reusable launch vehicles into New Mexico's space industry. It chose 27
square miles of state-owned land as a location for an inland spaceport and approached
Economic Development Cabinet Secretary Rick Homans for help. Homans presented the
idea of a New Mexico spaceport to the governor, and the project moved forward.
In 2008, Virgin Galactica established its headquarters in New Mexico and its operations
were located at Spaceport America, which broke ground June 19, 2009. Construction
on Spaceport America's 10,000- by 200-foot runway began in August 2009 and was dedicated
Oct. 22, 2010.
A notable feature of the spaceport's 110,000-square-foot terminal hangar facility
is a uniquely shaped, 60-foot-high rolling roof system consisting of 12 primary
undulating steel trusses spanning more than 180 feet with a 45-foot cantilever at
the eastern ridge.
Installed by Progressive Roofing LLC, Albuquerque, N.M., the roof system consists
of 90,000 square feet of 60-mil-thick EPDM membrane adhered to foam board, three
layers of 2-inch-thick polyisocyanurate insulation, and numerous layers of protective
coatings. United Coatings' Kymax® was chosen as the topcoat finish.
Spaceport America is located west of the U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range in
Sierra County, N.M, and is open to the public.
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