A thick layer of concrete is being poured atop a state-of-the art runway as crews work to complete Spaceport America, New Mexican officials said.
The 10,000-foot-long runway in Upham, N.M., was designed to allow landing by nearly any kind of aircraft and to support space tourism and payload launch operations, Spaceport America Executive Director Steve Landeene said.
The 200-foot-wide runway has 24 inches of prepared subgrade, 4 inches of asphalt and is being topped with 14 inches of concrete, the Albuquerque Journal reported Friday. Work also is continuing on a 110,000-square foot hangar.
The spaceport will accommodate Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo platforms and returning launch vehicles, fly-back rocket boosters and other space training vehicles, Landeene said.
"The airfield lies strategically within the White Sands Missile Range restricted airspace call-up area, which provides a unique opportunity for customers to fly in either the national airspace system or full restricted zone," he said.
Share This Article With Planet Earth
