Green Tourism

Back in January, we reported on the possibility of a theme park in Roswell, New Mexico. Now, media in the United States, Australia, and Britain are abuzz with news that the city has received a legislative appropriation of $245,000 for the initial planning of Alien Apex Resort, a bona fide UFO-themed amusement park. “Eventually, when people come to Roswell, they’re not going to have enough time to do everything they want to do. That’s our goal,” Roswell City Planner Zach Montgomery told the Sydney Morning Herald Online. For now, Roswell is the site of the 1947 Roswell Incident, the International UFO Museum and Research Center, and numerous alien-theme shops and restaurants. Alien enthusiasts will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Roswell Incident at this year’s Roswell UFO Festival, July 5-8, 2007.

Read the Associated Press story at CNN.com or Fox News

Sydney Morning Herald Online

All Headline News

Fly Like a Butterfly?

While Armadillo Aerospace’s John Carmack isn’t exactly claming his lunar vehicle Pixel can “fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee,” he was doing some Ali-style bragging about the upcoming Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge, to be held at the Wirefly X Prize Cup, October 26 – 28 in Alamogordo and Las Cruces, New Mexico. At last week’s International Space Development Conference in Dallas, he told MSNBC’s Alan Boyle, “It will take very bad luck for us not to win.” At present, nine teams have applied to compete.

"Scotty" Returns to Terra Firma

The final chapter in the saga of the successful April 28 launch from Spaceport America was written today when reseachers recovered the payload capsule of the Spaceloft XL rocket in the New Mexico mountains, SPACE.com reports. The capsule contained ashes of actor James Doohan, best known for portraying "Scotty" on Star Trek. Also in the capsule were ashes of NASA astronaut Gordon Cooper and 200 others. The rocket completed its mission of shooting the payload into space, which then safely parachuted back to Earth.

Higher Purpose: Voters Approve Tax to Finance Spaceport America

The United States and United Kingdom are abuzz today with news that residents of New Mexico’s Dona Ana County approved a .25 percent increase in gross receipts tax to help fund construction of Spaceport America. The tax is expected to generate $50 million. Without the tax, Spaceport America would not be possible. Spaceport America will be built on high-desert rangeland (pictured above) outside the town of Truth or Consequences.

Read more in the Washinton Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/05/AR2007040501905.html

Read more from the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/6532383.stm

Local Election Creates National Buzz

Today, voters in Dona Ana county go to the polls to decide whether or not to impose a one-fourth of one percent sales tax to help finance Spaceport America and related math and science education. Typically, this sort of thing is a local story, but with the country's eye on New Mexico, it has made national news.

Read more from the Washington Post: http://http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/25/AR2007032501385.html?sub=new

Or listen via National Public Radio: http://http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9269312

Commercial Space: It's About Time

Yesterday, Time.com published "Space Cowboys," an in-depth business story on the New Space Race, covering every player from promiment Virgin Galactic to secretive Benson Space Co. About the Land of Enchatment, Time says: "New Mexico sees itself as a Silicon Valley of space, a place where an industry cluster could develop, absorbing investment and throwing off jobs as it does. When state economic-development secretary Rick Homans, chairman of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority, saw the list of global companies participating in the X Prize in 2004, he says it suddenly dawned on him that the new space industry might look like the early computer industry--a bunch of crazy guys. 'They start with chaotic, crazy inventors and entrepreneurs--colorful characters. . .'" The story is also featured prominently in the March 5, 2007 print edition, pictured above.

Seeing Green

Are you reading this, Orlando? Roswell, New Mexico, already boasts the world’s only UFO museum plus downtown streetlamps shaped like aliens. Now, the city is ready to take its tourism to the next level and is in early talks about an extraterrestrial-themed amusement park, reports United Press International."This is not a guaranteed project but it has gone farther than any other theme park that has been considered for the city of Roswell, and it's looking very positive," said Roswell City Planning Director Zachary Montgomery late last week.

New Directions for Next Year’s X Prize Cup

Things are looking up for the 2007 Wirefly X Prize Cup. The 2006 event was such a success that officials are prepared to expand the event’s offerings and locations. With a goal of flying more vehicles faster and farther, the world’s premier personal spaceflight expo could expand to White Sands and Alamogordo. Read more: http://"http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=d1fea7a3-8cae-488a-adbc-45f408480335"

Reinventing Flight

The home of the Wright Brothers may take an existing airport to the next level, equipping it for reusable launch vehicles and joining the New Space Race. A few days ago, Ohio announced it was considering early plans for a spaceport. PlanetSpace—an organization that includes the minds behind X Prize contenders Canadian Arrow--would be the anchor tenants in this venture Read more: http://"http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15993507/"

Christmas in the Air

Virgin Galactic makes headlines again. This time, it’s the legendary Neiman Marcus holiday catalog, where $1.7 million buys a trip to space and a splashdown (figuratively speaking) at Richard Branson’s Necker Island. Read more:
http://money.cnn.com/popups/2006/consumer/neiman_marcus/index.html