
Richard Branson set to open Virgin Spaceport today.  - skbohra123
http://www.virgin.com/travel/news/virgin-galactic-spaceport-america-runway-dedication
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edkennedy
Space exploration has always been a phallic endeavor. Now I see that Virgin
has taken a very very...yonic style to it's spaceport architecture.

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hugh3
It doesn't look quite so bad in the second picture where it blends into the
background.

Architecturally I think this style is called "How to spend as much money as
possible on something that is still just a big shed in the desert".

Seriously though, was there any real need to build a "spaceport"? Wouldn't
White Knight/Spaceship 2.0 equally capable of operating out of any decent-
sized airport, if you make sure you arrange priority landing for the
spaceship? (Does Spaceship Two land on a runway?)

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locopati
Ups the cachet considerably, no? If you're paying that kind of money for a
flight, isn't it more fitting to fly out of a Spaceport then Albuquerque
International Airport?

Plus, given time, we may see a vicious hive of scum and villainy grow in the
surrounding area.

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hugh3
Indeed, I was just wondering whether there was any practical reason for it.
But since "sounds cool" is a more-than-sufficient justification for any Virgin
activity at this stage, and since "building a spaceport" was really just
"buying an old airport in the middle of the desert and putting up a new sign"
I guess I'm not too surprised.

 _Plus, given time, we may see a vicious hive of scum and villainy grow in the
surrounding area._

Albuquerque?

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astine
It's much closer to Roswell...

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skalpelis
He meant Mos Eisley.

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astine
I got the Star Wars reference.

I used to live in Albuquerue and I was implying that Roswell was more like Mos
Eisley than Albuquerque. Though that's just a personal opinion.

~~~
duhprey
Makes sense. Albuquerque's west side is full of a bunch of whiney Luke types
"I wish we were cool like the main city" :)

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vaksel
I wonder if they'll manage to go to the moon within 20 years.

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jcfrei
from the looks of it
[http://www.virgingalactic.com/assets/img/overview/spaceport/...](http://www.virgingalactic.com/assets/img/overview/spaceport/footer.jpg)
you'll actually need a regular plane (or private jet for that matter) to get
there in the first place.

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taphangum
Considering the fact that the asking price is $200,000 per person. Shouldn't
be a problem for most of its customers.

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jiganti
Based on its target market, I'd say this certainly shouldn't be a problem.

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bretthellman
I'd love to hear Richard Branson at next year's startup school. Vote up if you
would too...

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hugh3
I'd love to hear Richard Branson at next year's startup school, but I _so_ do
not want to see comments with "vote up if you..."

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ck2
You mean the "top of earth's atmosphere" or maybe "high flying planes" port.

SpaceShipOne/Two does NOT go into space!

It barely exits the mesosphere. Space starts 73-76 miles up.

Virgin doesn't have any craft that goes above 68 miles.

The USA set a far lower standard for political reasons at 50 miles to make-
believe and call people "astronauts".

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danieldon
It goes above the Kármán line (100km/62 miles), which is the international
standard for the boundary:

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%A1rm%C3%A1n_line>

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ck2
Again, 62 miles is a made-up POLITICAL standard.

"Space" has been measured to start at 73 or 76 miles depending on which
science experiment you want to accept.

So are people taking this flight because it's the wonder of science or for
bragging rights? Because if it's for the wonder of science, well science says
you aren't in space.

 _(and really, if there is even doubt that the height you are going to is
actually "space" then what the hell is this nonsense about? Let me know when
you can do at least one orbit of the planet and then I'll say you did
something extra special for spending all that money)_

