Mon, Feb 22, 2010
Commercial Spaceport Will Have 10,000 Feet Of Concrete
The first batch of concrete was poured Thursday, February 11,
marking the start of the final concrete finish phase of the runway
construction at Spaceport America, the world's first purposebuilt
commercial spaceport. The runway project, which began in
August 2009, is expected to be completed this summer, according to
the New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA).
The multi-layered runway is made up of 24 inches of prepared
subgrade with the top six inches being a soil-cement mix
foundation, followed by four inches of asphalt, and finally a
14-inch finish layer of concrete. Measuring 10,000 feet long by 200
feet wide, the runway is designed to support nearly every aircraft
in the world, as well as the day-to-day space tourism and payload
launch operations like those for Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo
and SpaceShipTwo.
The large concrete runway will accommodate returning launch
vehicles, fly-back rocket boosters and other space launch and
training vehicles.
Photo Credit: Judd Bradley / Spaceport America
"The beginning of the concrete application to the runway marks a
significant milestone in the realization of Spaceport America and
commercial space in New Mexico," commented Steve Landeene,
Spaceport America's Executive Director. "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, depending on the mission requirements."
Along with the runway project, work is proceeding on the
110,000-square foot Terminal Hangar Facility (THF) at Spaceport
America. The NMSA has been working closely with leading
aerospace firms such as Virgin Galactic, Lockheed Martin, Moog-FTS,
and UP Aerospace to develop commercial spaceflight at the new
facility.
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