N E W S
VIRGIN GALACTIC OPENS
VIP SPACE TERMINAL
Virgin Galactic has revealed
the completed first and
second floors of its VIP
terminal for space travellers,
the Gateway to Space building at
Spaceport America and declared it
ready for use.
Richard Branson’s space
tourism company has developed its
SpaceShipTwo to fly private individuals
to altitudes of 100km and plans to
increase the frequency and safety of
space flight. The company expects to
launch its first commercial space flight
next year and by 2023 be operating a
flight every 32 hours.
A ticket for Virgin Galactic’s
SpaceShipTwo costs US$250,000. The
company aims to fly more people to
space in its first few years of service
than have been there through all
of history.
Virgin Galactic’s Gateway to Space
terminal is based within Spaceport
America in New Mexico, USA. The
67,000ft spaceport was designed by
Foster + Partners and is located on
18,000 acres in the Jornada del Muerto
desert basin, adjacent to the White
10 | BU S INE S S A I R P O RT INT E RNAT I ONA L O C TO B E R 2 0 1 9
Sands Missile Range and
resides under restricted
air space.
The Gateway to Space
“This unveiling
is a vital step
towards commercial
space flight”
Daniel Hicks, CEO, Spaceport
facility is separated into
two floors. The Gaia Lounge
is on the first floor, while the
second floor is named Cirrus.
The first floor has been designed to
encourage interaction and togetherness
amongst passengers, according to Virgin Galactic.
America
Cirrus, the second floor represents light, air, and
flight and houses Mission Control, the Mission Briefing
Room, the Pilot Corps and the rest of the Flight
Operations team.
Spaceport America includes vertical and horizontal
launch complexes including a 12,000 x 200ft runway.
It is the first purpose built commercial spaceport in the
world and to date has hosted 301 rocket launches, 12
of which have reached space.
“Virgin Galactic’s unveiling is the next step of
moving the aerospace industry forward in New Mexico
and is a vital step toward commercial space flight from
Spaceport America,” said Daniel Hicks, Spaceport
America CEO.
“Virgin Galactic has made tremendous progress
here at Spaceport America. We are honored to have
Virgin Galactic moving their operations as well as their
top-notch support aircraft fully to New Mexico.”
Below: Runway viewing area
at the Gateway to Space,
Spaceport America,
New Mexico
Middle: The start of the
interactive Astronaut Walk
at the Gateway to Space
Right: The Gaia Lounge
Dining area at the terminal