The following is a true spaceport story. Midland, Texas’ Development Authority thought that investing in a spaceport would be a great idea. An up-and-coming space company named XCOR wanted to relocate from California. It would only take millions of Economic Development dollars and a spaceport license from the FAA. The plan would bring space tourism to their city and prosperity for all. XCOR and the politicians easily sold it to trusting citizens. Andrew Nelson was XCOR’s Chie

The only non-Federally funded spaceport with more than a handful of employees is at Mojave(CA) Air and Space Port, located about 100 miles north of Los Angeles in the California desert. Mojave is a former military training airport that today primarily serves as an airliner refurbish/refit/repair facility. An airplane 'graveyard' is maintained there. With a permanent population of only about 4,200 in Mojave, many workers commute from 30 or more miles away. But several emergent

30,000 feet (5.6 miles) won the day for the University of Michigan student team. In other events, student rockets have actually reached more than 27 miles. The 'edge' of space is at 60 miles and Minimum Low Earth Orbit is at a minimum altitude of 100 miles. Spaceport America, like the Friends of Amateur Rocketry launch site in Mojave, California, are in near-desert or desert locations for safety. All student launches lack guidance systems or self-destruct safety devices. Like

Vector Space, a tiny start-up rocket company in Tuscon, Az. is very well traveled, visiting Alaska, Kennedy Space Center, then Camden County