Recent Activity
Virgin Galactic in 2025–2026 paused commercial flights of VSS Unity pending Delta-class spaceship rollout; suborbital research tenants (UP Aerospace, SpinLaunch) continue.
Investor Brief
The original commercial spaceport experiment and the only U.S. site licensed for both vertical and horizontal commercial launches inland. Strategic value is tied closely to Virgin Galactic's flight cadence — a single-tenant risk for the state.
Ownership
Parent Entity
Capex
Regulatory Regime
Anchor Tenants
Latitude Advantage
Launch Azimuth Range
Employees
Country
🇺🇸United States
Region
North America
Established
2,011
Launches / Year
510
Years Active
15
Strategic Position
32.9903° N, 106.9747° W
Azimuth: Site-specific (horizontal runway 16/34 and vertical pad cleared 360° within restricted airspace)
33.0°N — desert basin altitude (~1,400m) and 6,000+ sq mi of restricted airspace (White Sands MOA) — orientation matters less than the protected test corridor for horizontal/suborbital ops.
Future Milestones
- 2026
Virgin Galactic Delta-class spaceship integration and ground testing
- 2027
Virgin Galactic Delta-class commercial flights resume (target)
About
Spaceport America is the world's first purpose-built commercial spaceport, located in the Jornada del Muerto desert basin of southern New Mexico. It serves as the operational headquarters for Virgin Galactic's suborbital space tourism flights and has hosted numerous vertical and horizontal launch operations for commercial and research customers.
Key Features
World's first purpose-built commercial spaceport
Virgin Galactic's home base for SpaceShipTwo suborbital tourism flights
18,000-foot runway supports horizontal-launch space vehicles
FAA-licensed for both vertical and horizontal launches
Located in restricted airspace with vast unpopulated downrange areas
Rockets That Launch Here
Companies Operating Here
Orbit Types
Notable Launches
Virgin Galactic Unity 22 (2021) — Richard Branson's suborbital flight
Virgin Galactic Galactic 01 (2023) — First commercial suborbital flight
SpinLaunch suborbital accelerator test flights
UP Aerospace suborbital research missions
Multiple sounding rocket launches for NASA and DoD