NMSA Names Award-Winning Construction Firm to Oversee Spaceport America

The New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) has announced the selection of Gerald Martin Construction Management of Albuquerque, New Mexico, to oversee the construction of Spaceport America, the nation’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport.

Gerald Martin Construction Management will represent the NMSA in all aspects of design team and contractor integration, quality control, value engineering, scheduling and budget management. This announcement follows Monday’s news that Spaceport America has received its Record of Decision and license for vertical and horizontal launch operations from the FAA/AST.

Gerald Martin Construction Management is a division of Gerald Martin General Contractor, an award-winning construction company founded in 1974 and headquartered in Albuquerque with offices in Santa Fe, Taos and Tempe, Arizona. For the spaceport project, Gerald Martin’s team will include specialists experienced with aviation facilities, Fire/EMS facilities servicing aeronautic and rocket facilities, and working with NASA.

“We are proud to be a part of this historic endeavor,” says James Mee, Gerald Martin’s Vice President of Construction Management. “Gerald Martin Construction Management has assembled a superb team that will provide specific and focused expertise to all areas of the project at each phase of the project.”

“We are excited to work with Gerald Martin Construction Management on the construction and development of the spaceport,” said NMSA Executive Director Steve Landeene. “There were many quality applicants in our selection process, and we feel confident that Gerald Martin has a level of experience, cost effectiveness and local knowledge that will give us the edge as we begin construction.”

This week’s licensure from the FAA/AST and naming of a construction management firm is indicative of the progress of the new spaceport project. Spaceport America has been working closely with leading aerospace firms such as Virgin Galactic, Lockheed Martin, Rocket Racing Inc./Armadillo Aerospace, UP Aerospace, Microgravity Enterprises and Payload Specialties.

The NMSA currently projects vertical launch activity to increase in 2009 and construction to also begin in 2009 with the terminal and hangar facility for horizontal launches completed by late 2010.