07-04-12 -- Spaceport America, North of Las Cruces, New Mexico - (MP3 LOADED)

Ernest will be broadcasting the show live from Spaceport America north of Las Cruces, NM for the 4th of July. As the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport, Spaceport America is designed with the needs of the commercial space business in mi

Hour 1 - 3

Media Type: Audio • Time: 52 Minutes

Topics: Spaceport America

Hour 2

Media Type: Audio • Time: 52 Minutes

Hour 3

Media Type: Audio • Time: 52 Minutes

Hour 1 - 3

Media Type: Audio • Time: 52 Minutes

Topics: Spaceport America

Ernest is on the road and will be broadcasting from different cities around the country until July 6th, 2012.

If you want to listen to the show's archives, go to each hour on this midpage and click on the play button for the hour you want to hear. (While we are on the road, we will be recording the show for each hour with three individual mp3 downloads instead of recording the whole show and putting it in one mp3 download)

July 4th, 2012

Declare Your Independence with Ernest Hancock

on LRN.FM / Monday - Friday

9 a.m. - Noon (EST)

Studio Line: 602-264-2800

Hour 1

News Link •

Space Travel and Exploration
SPACEPORT AMERICA: How To Find
07-04-2012 • Google Map
You cannot find the Spaceport anywhere on their website or map, so with much effort, we were able to find it. Click thru to see map and directions.

North of Las Cruces, New Mexico off of I-25, there is a little town called Truth Or Consequences (which is very nice, by the way) and is marked with a Red A on the map below. To the southeast of Truth Or Consequences marked by a large circle is where the Spaceport is:

When you zoom in, the Spaceport becomes visible (see map below):

Hour 2

Live from Truth Or Consequences, NM

Just outside of where Spaceport America is located

Webpage: SpaceportAmerica.Com

The next chapter in space transportation is being written right now in the State of New Mexico. Forward-thinking pioneers are developing both vertical and horizontal launch vehicles using the power of free-market enterprise.

As the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport, Spaceport America is designed with the needs of the commercial space business in mind. Unique geographic benefits, striking iconic design, and the tradition of New Mexico space leadership are coming together to create a new way to travel into space.

When it comes to outer space, New Mexico is bringing it down to earth!

Spaceport America History

The unveiling of the Spaceport America brand shines light on a visionary project many years in the making. New Mexico’s weather and wide-open spaces have been ideal for the aerospace industry since Robert Goddard, the Father of Modern Rocketry, began conducting research in Roswell in the 1930s. He was followed by Wernher von Braun in the 1940s, and NASA in the 1980s.

By the early 1990s, a group of like-minded individuals called, the Southwest Space Task Force, felt the impetus to take New Mexico’s space industry to the next level: commercial space and reusable launch vehicles. Based on years of study, they zeroed in on 27 square-miles of state-owned land, 45 miles north of Las Cruces as a location for an inland spaceport. When Economic Development Cabinet Secretary Rick Homans took office in 2003, they went to him and pleaded their case.

Homans then picked up the torch, presenting the idea of a New Mexico spaceport to Governor Richardson, negotiating with the X Prize Foundation to locate the X Prize Cup in New Mexico, spearheading legislation to finance the spaceport, and most recently, recruiting four aerospace mavericks — including Virgin Galactic — to New Mexico.

Highlights of New Mexico Space History

	2010

		Spaceport America Runway Dedication On October 22, 2010 the New Mexico Spaceport Authority dedicated the nearly two?mile long Spaceport America runway as the "Governor Bill RIchardson Spaceway." Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo fly over the spaceport and land for the first time on the new runway as part of the ceremonies.

Second Annual New Mexico Education Launch As part of New Mexico Space Grant Consortium's mission to promote space programs and education to New Mexico students and educators, the second annual New Mexico Education Launch took place on Tuesday, May 4, 2010 from Spaceport America. Photograph courtesy of Bob Martin KRQE Television.

		Space Flight Informed Consent On February 27, 2010, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson signed the Space Flight Informed Consent Act into law.

Discover Magazine Recognizes Spaceport America In their January/February 2010 issue, Discover named the top 100 discoveries that are poised to change the world in 2010.

	2009
Spaceport America Hardhat Tours Announced NMSA officials announced the availability of paid public hardhat tours of the Spaceport America construction site beginning December 2009.

		Spaceport Runway Construction Begins David Montoya Construction begins the construction of the 10,000 foot by 200 foot Spaceport America runway in August of 2009. Image courtesy Mark Greenberg.

Major Aerospace Company Moog Successfully Launches R & D Mission from Spaceport America Aerospace manufacturing company Moog- FTS successfully launches from Spaceport America on August 4, 2009. The launch was a test of a ground-launched Ground Launched Research and Development Prototype.

		Lunar Lander Pad Construction Spaceport America has installed three launch pads for NASA’s 2009 Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Centennial Challenge. The launch area is named 'Tranquility Base' to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon mission, the trio of lunar lander launch pads was constructed the week of June 22, 2009.

WhiteKnightTwo Flies Over Las Cruces International Airport Virgin Galactic WhiteKnightTwo mothership "EVE" flew over the Las Cruces airport on Saturday, June 20th 2009.

		Spaceport America Groundbreaking New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson speaks during the Spaceport America groundbreaking ceremonies on Friday, June 19, 2009.

First Annual New Mexico Education Launch The New Mexico Spaceport Authority, UP Aerospace and the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium hosted an education launch at Spaceport America on Saturday, May 2nd, 2009.

	2008
		Spaceport America and Virgin Galactic Sign Historic Lease Agreement. Virgin Galactic signs a 20-year lease agreement with the State of New Mexico on December 31, 2008. Virgin Galactic’s world headquarters will be established in New Mexico and its operations will be located at Spaceport America.

FAA Awards Spaceport America Launch Site Operator License The New Mexico Spaceport Authority received its launch license for vertical launch activity from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation (FAA/AST) on Monday, December 15, 2008.

		X PRIZE Lunar Lander Challenge Armadillo Aerospace captures $350,000 in prize money for successfully completing Level One of the two-tiered competition held at the Las Cruces International Airport October 24-25, 2008.

	2007
UP Aerospace successfully launches a Lockheed Martin test rocket system.

		Spaceport America design concepts, created by URS/Foster + Partners, unveiled to the public.

UP Aerospace successfully launches SL-2 rocket to the edge of space carrying commercial and scientific payloads.

	2006
		The Spaceport America brand is unveiled at the Farnborough International Airshow.

Governor Richardson and the New Mexico legislature enact laws providing for the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport.

	2005
		Governor Richardson and Sir Richard Branson Announce Virgin Galactic World Headquarters in New Mexico on December 14, 2005.

New Mexico hosts the first annual X Prize Cup in Las Cruces. As many as 20,000 people attend.

	2004
		New Mexico becomes the host for the X Prize Cup annual space flight exhibition.

	1979
White Sands Missile Range is named a landing site for NASA’s Space Shuttle. NASA missions continue through the eighties and nineties.

	1961
		HAM, a chimpanzee named for Holloman Aero Medical Laboratory in Alamogordo, is the first chimp in space.

	1957
The Manhigh high-altitude balloon test program flies from Holloman Air Force Base pre-astronauts into the Stratosphere.

	1954
		Col. Paul Stapp conducts a record breaking high-speed rocket sled test at Holloman Air Force Base.

	1946
Wernher von Braun launches the V-2 rocket from the then-named White Sands Proving Ground, New Mexico.

	1929
		Ridiculed for his unconventional ideas, Robert Goddard relocates from New England to Roswell, New Mexico, to build his experimental rockets in peace. He would become known as the Father of Modern Rocketry.