A Gateway to Space from Ancient Petroglyphs Depicting Celestial Events to the Futuristic Spaceport America, New Mexico Offers a Galaxy of Otherworldly Adventures
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SPACEADVENTURE GUIDE A Gateway to Space From ancient petroglyphs depicting celestial events to the futuristic Spaceport America, New Mexico offers a galaxy of otherworldly adventures p. 1 The future of flight is ready for liftoff p. 3 15 places to explore in Truth or Consequences and Las Cruces As the home+ of Virgin p. 5 Peek inside Galactic, Spaceport Virgin Galactic’s America serves as New spaceships Mexico’s launchpad for a new era of space travel p. 7 Suit up in the most advanced flight gear p. 8 Chart your odyssey along the Space Trail Eyes to the Skies. SPACEPORT Eyes to the Skies. The Future of Flight Spaceport America serves as New Mexico’s launchpad for a new era of adventure. And you don’t have to be an astronaut to go. BY ASHLEY M. BIGGERS was nearly late for my tour of Spaceport America—the it as a site for the world’s first purpose-built spaceport (an place where a futuristic space age is dawning—because airport for spaceships). of a vestige of the Old West: cows. A trio of cattle Consider its history: A rocket launched from White Sands blocked the two-lane county road outside Truth or Missile Range took the first image of Earth from space on IConsequences, their placid faces expressing little desire October 24, 1946. That groundbreaking grainy black-and- to give way to a combustion engine. white photo was one of the first milestones in the region’s A bovine blockade is par for the course in this stretch space adventures, which include supporting the Interna- of desert, 26 miles east of T or C and 55 miles north of tional Space Station program and training astronauts for Las Cruces. But near the aptly named town of Upham, Apollo missions. Today, White Sands Missile Range’s 6,000 Spaceport America has quietly snuck into the history and square miles of restricted airspace remains an important record books as one of the top destinations for aerospace testing ground—and that enviable umbrella extends over innovation in the country. Spaceport America’s 18,000 acres and its tenants. With their last hoof off the blacktop, I head to the tucked- The spaceport officially opened in 2011, with a big-name wing form of the Gate- celebrity tenant: British way to Space, Spaceport entrepreneur Richard America’s public hub, Branson. His company whose earthen hues and Virgin Galactic, the undulating shape blend world’s first commercial into its surrounds. “spaceline,” promises to This region has long give customers a brief been a place for star- ride into space. gazers and epic travel- Walking up to the ers. Some 2,000 years Gateway to Space, which ago, Jornada Mogollon doubles as the welcome people etched celestial center and Virgin Ga- phenomena into rock lactic’s terminal, I fol- faces in what is now the low the same path as Three Rivers Petroglyph future astronauts. They Site, near Tularosa. Be- and their entourages ¢ Spaceport America’s futuristic architecture complements the vision ginning in the 16th cen- of its most famous tenant, Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic. will climb the Astronaut tury, explorers traveled Walk and pass through El Camino Real, the trading route connecting Mexico City a set of patina metal doors. After crossing a sky bridge, to Santa Fe, which now skirts the spaceport’s western edge. they’ll enter a three-story facility dedicated to their flights. Those travelers trekked across an inhospitable landscape, The main floor, called Gaia, uses earth tones and natu- where yuccas outnumber people even today, to reach a des- ral materials to create a grounding effect in its lounge tination unknown to them. Some 400 years later, future and coffee bar. On the second floor, called Cirrus, Virgin W N -106°58’17.99” 32°59’10.07” astronauts will trace this same route as the first leg of their Galactic’s design director, Jeremy Brown, incorporated journey into the final frontier. blues and whites to evoke the sky in an area dedicated to mission control and pilot use. The yet-to-be-revealed third FOR AEROSPACE RESEARCHERS AND STARRY-EYED floor will be for training astronauts. dreamers, this remote location holds a certain appeal. Its When they arrive, possibly in 2021, the three days of setting, just over the San Andres Mountains from the U.S. training will include final fittings of their bespoke space- Army’s White Sands Missile Range, where the country’s suits, medical exams, and preflight briefings. “We want to THIS PAGE AND COVER: COURTESY OF VIRGIN GALACTIC missile and space programs set important roots, clinched get them into the headspace to enjoy every single second of 1 SPACEPORT ¢ FROM ABOVE: G-Shock simulator to get a sense of The VSS Unity the g-forces astronauts encounter glides home after its in flight. second supersonic flight. Elegantly As I step into the visitor center, designed, Virgin fogged windows clear to reveal the Galactic’s carrier football-stadium-size hangar and aircraft VMS Eve lifts Virgin Galactic’s space fleet, which Unity to the sky. includes the catamaran-like form of the WhiteKnightTwo carrier and the metallic-winged SpaceShipTwo. The WhiteKnightTwo, known as VMS Eve, takes its name from Branson’s mother, who was a flight attendant. Stephen Hawking dubbed SpaceShipTwo the VSS Unity. The ship’s branding features a Galactic Girl pulling a banner with the image of one of Hawking’s piercing blue eyes. VIRGIN GALACTIC’S RACE TO SPACE HAS OFTEN FELT the flight,” says Aleanna Crane, head of communications like a crawl as a galaxy’s worth of safety issues have been for Virgin Galactic. worked out, so just these vehicles’ presence in New Mexico The founding 600 astronauts paid between $200,000 marks a major milestone. (Virgin Galactic moved them and $250,000 to spend a few minutes at zero gravity. Early from its Mojave, California, facility in February 2020.) investors included Tom Hanks, Angelina Jolie, Justin To achieve spaceflight, the WhiteKnightTwo completes Bieber, and Lady Gaga. When Virgin Galactic begins sell- a conventional takeoff from the 2.25-mile-long spaceway, ing tickets again—it hasn’t since 2018—it expects prices climbing to 50,000 feet with SpaceShipTwo attached. Then to rise. Those of us who are there for just a visit can hang SpaceShipTwo is released, firing a motor that pitches it into a left into the visitor center for earthbound experiences. a near vertical climb and propels it at 3.5 times the speed For many, the tour highlight is being strapped into the of sound toward the inky dark of space. COURTESY OF VIRGIN GALACTIC 32°59’10.07” N -106°58’17.99” W N -106°58’17.99” 32°59’10.07” 2 w PLAY SPACES Spaceport America has two great choices for a base camp. Call ahead to ensure your des- tinations are open and ask about their COVID-19 protocols. ¢ CLOCKWISE: TRUTH OR Sierra Grande Lodge CONSEQUENCES & Spa, Farmers & Spaceport’s nearest Crafts Market of Las Cruces, Riverbend neighbor, T or C sits 26 Hot Springs miles to the west. Public tours, when available, depart on Saturdays and Sundays from the visitor center, in one of the town’s historic adobe buildings, where displays set the stage for a great outing (301 S. Foch St., 575-267- 8888, spaceportamerica tour.com). Space fans can continue the journey by booking a stay at the Rocket Inn, where rooms named Apollo, Jupiter, and Pluto lie behind the retro- lodge’s brick facade, just Sierra Grande Lodge & when available, depart arcade, Rad Retrocade outside of downtown (605 Spa offers private soaks from here on Fridays (336 (201 N. Main St., 575-556- N. Date St., 575-894-2964, beneath the stars, on-site S. Main St., 575-267-8888, 9338, on Facebook rocketinn.net). dining, and guided tours spaceportamericatour @radretrocade). T or C is also a hot- of the Armendaris and .com). Head to Beck’s Roast- springs hamlet known Ladder ranches (501 Among the city’s top ing House & Creamery for soothing soaks at an McAdoo St., 877-288-7637, activities is the Saturday for third-wave coffee and affordable price. Nearly a tedturnerreserves.com). and Wednesday Farmers micro-batch ice cream dozen hotels and bath- The description-defying & Crafts Market of Las (try the java flavor), in the houses are clustered in Asian fusion cuisine at Cruces (farmersand Mesquite Historic District the Hot Springs Historic Latitude 33 is a local fa- craftsmarketoflascruces (130 N. Mesquite St., 575- District (nmmag.us/torc vorite. Dishes such as the .com). The market springs 556-9850, beckscoffeelc springs). Riverbend Hot crispy orange chicken with up along streets in the .com). In nearby Mesilla, Springs offers private pecans and edamame, walkable downtown area, Dry Point Distillers serves tubs set along the bank and the BYO Impossible near the 1926 Rio Grande house-distilled vodka of the Río Grande (100 Burger (a vegan favorite Theatre. When it has a cocktails (1680 Calle de Austin St., 575-894-7625, to which you can add— full calendar, the restored Alvarez, 575-652-3414, CAULEY, NMTD CAULEY, c riverbendhotsprings.com). ahem!—bacon), top the two-story adobe theater drypointdistillersnm.com) For such a small town, menu (304 S. Pershing St., hosts three to four events Also in Mesilla, Jo- T or C has an outsize num- 575-297-0844, on Face- each week, from family sephina’s Old Gate ber of high-profile names book @latitude33torc). movie nights to tour- offers charmingly historic with property in the area. ing cello virtuosos (211 lodgings (2261 Calle de Media mogul Ted Turner LAS CRUCES Main St., 575-541-2290, Guadalupe, 575-525-2620, (whose Armendaris Virgin Galactic’s hub city is riograndetheatre.org).