The Las Cruces Sun News reports that Spaceport America CEO Dan Hicks, who has led the organization since 2016, has been placed on administrative leave. New Mexico Economic Development Secretary Alicia Keyes, who chairs the New Mexico Spaceport Authority’s board of directors, confirmed Thursday that Hicks was on leave pending an investigation, but did not provide further details. Hicks did not immediately respond to a query from the Sun-News. He succeeded Christine […]
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SPACEPORT AMERICA, NM, September 22, 2016 (Spaceport America PR) – Spaceport America, the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport located in southern New Mexico in the USA, today announced that the New Mexico Spaceport Authority Board of Directors has selected Daniel Hicks as the new Chief Executive Officer.
The announcement follows a search by the New Mexico Spaceport Authority Board’s Search Committee to identify a new CEO, following the retirement of Christine Anderson, who previously held the position since 2011.
The final step took place today when the New Mexico Spaceport Authority Board of Directors voted unanimously to approve the appointment of Daniel Hicks as Spaceport America’s Chief Executive Officer.
Richard Branson and his children hang out with Project Bandaloop dancers during the dedication of the Virgin Galactic Gateway to Space facility in October 2011. (Credit: Douglas Messier)
Spaceport America CEO Christine Anderson has taken to New Mexico media to say that things are going great at the spaceport as she steps down this week.
“Spaceport America is alive and well,” she declared in an op-ed in the Las Cruces Sun-News. “It saddens me to read uninformed articles to the contrary.”
Our CEO Chris Anderson will depart soon to travel the world. Thanks for leading us to success – you will be missed! pic.twitter.com/kCs10uY7pt — Spaceport America (@Spaceport_NM) July 19, 2016 Las Cruces Sun-News has a story. Anderson says she only wanted to do the job for a year, and it’s been 5.5 years. UPDATE: Aaron Prescott, who was director of business development/business operations, also departed earlier this month. Aaron had […]
Terrific week of exercises at our future home, working w/ @Spaceport_NM, local ATC, WSMR, & FAA’s Albuquerque Center pic.twitter.com/RXSG5pEcIC
— Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) April 21, 2016
SPACEPORT AMERICA, NM (NMSA PR) — Virgin Galactic and Spaceport America Operations teams welcomed WhiteKnightTwo back to the clear blue skies of New Mexico on Monday.
The Virgin Galactic Gateway to Space terminal hangar facility (center), Spaceport Operations Center (Left) and “Spaceway” (Runway) at Spaceport America. (Credit: Bill Gutman/Spaceport America)
New Mexico State Sen. Lee Cotter (R-Las Cruces) has renewed efforts to bring tax relief to residents of Dona Ana and Sierra counties relating to their support of Spaceport America.
In 2007, residents of the two counties agreed to increase their taxes to help fund the construction of the facility, which is located outside of Truth or Consequences. The taxes remain in place to pay off bonds sold to fund Spaceport America’s construction.
SL-10 launch (Credit: Spaceport America)
SPACEPORT AMERICA, NM, November 6, 2015 (Spaceport America PR) – Spaceport America, the world’s first purpose-built, commercial spaceport, announced the successful launch today of an UP Aerospace SpaceLoft™rocket carrying several scientific and engineering experiments. The launch took place this morning at 8:01 MST from Spaceport America’s Vertical Launch Complex-1 on the East Campus. This launch represents Spaceport America’s 24th overall launch and the fourth from Spaceport America with NASA Flight Opportunities Program payloads.
Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides was in Albuquerque. NM, on Tuesday where he assured local business leaders about the future of his company’s SpaceShipTwo space tourism vehicle and its future home, Spaceport America. Whitesides said the second SpaceShipTwo could be finished within a few months, although he did not provide any timetables for completion, ground and flight tests or the start of commercial operations from New Mexico. The Virgin Galactic […]
SPACEPORT AMERICA, NM, September 1, 2015 (NMSA PR) – Spaceport America – the world’s first purpose-built, commercial spaceport announced today ARCA Space Corporation has selected Spaceport America as the site for its space launch vehicle and high altitude autonomous aircraft testing.
ARCA Space Corporation was founded in the United States in July 2014 in Las Cruces, New Mexico. ARCA will engineer, manufacture, test and bring to market innovative and affordable aerospace products such as the AirStrato UAS and Haas rocket series from its new global headquarters.
The Virgin Galactic Gateway to Space building with a security fence around it. (Credit: Alex Heard)
The guessing game was being played again last week in New Mexico, when nobody seems to know when Virgin Galactic will begin commercial spaceflights from the state’s gleaming but little used Spaceport America.
“Our assumption is that they wouldn’t begin commercial flights with passengers until July 2016,” [Executive Director Christine] Anderson said in an interview. “That’s just an assumption. It doesn’t mean I know any more than anyone else, but it means that I had to base my budget on something.”
Well, fair enough. I guess she has to base the budget on something. It would be nice if that something was a little more realistic. A July start doesn’t appear to be so at the moment.