Photos: Spaceport America Blooms in New Mexico Desert

Spaceport America Terminal Nears Completion

At New Mexico’s Spaceport America, the planned home port of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo fleet for suborbital space tourist flights, work is nearing completion on the facility's Terminal Hangar.

Spaceport America's Inaugural Launch

A rocket launched by UP Aerospace heads skyward Monday, Sept. 25, 2006, in Upham, N.M. The unmanned rocket that took off in the inaugural launch from New Mexico's spaceport crashed in the desert, failing in its mission to reach suborbital space.

Spaceport America Terminal Building Under Construction

A view of the Spaceport America terminal building under construction. The new commercial spaceport is rising out of the American southwestern desert near Las Cruces, NM, during its runway dedication ceremony on Oct. 22, 2010.

Virgin Galactic Spaceship Christens New Spaceport Runway

The Virgin Galactic suborbital vehicle SpaceShipTwo, called Enterprise, soars over New Mexico's Spaceport America terminal – still under construction – under the belly of its huge mothership WhiteKnightTwo during the spaceport’s runway dedication ceremony on Oct. 22, 2010.

Spaceport America's Runway Dedication

WhiteKnightTwo and VSS Enterprise appear on the Spaceport America runway during the runway dedication on October 22, 2010.

WhiteKnightTwo and VSS Enterprise Fly over the Spaceport

WhiteKnightTwo and VSS Enterprise fly over the spaceport during the dedication ceremony on October 22, 2010.

Spaceport America: First Looks at a New Space Terminal

Dawn breaks in this new depiction of Spaceport America in New Mexico, the future home of Virgin Galactic's suborbital spaceliner fleet.

New Mexico Spaceport Seeks Voter Support

Spaceport America is to blossom in New Mexico, a commercial venture to support suborbital and orbital access to space of passengers, satellites, and cargo. It is to be home base for Virgin Galactic's suborbital spaceline operations.

Sky High Groundbreaking: New Mexico's Spaceport America

An artist's concept of Spaceport America, a suborbital spaceport under construction in New Mexico.

New Mexico Spaceport Gets State Go-ahead

Conceptual artwork depicts cross-section of proposed New Mexico spaceport. Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic has struck a 20-year lease on the futuristic spaceport to handle the firm's suborbital spaceliner operations.

Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo Lands at Spaceport America

The mothership WhiteKnightTwo carries Virgin Galactic's suborbital spacecraft SpaceShipTwo to New Mexico's Spaceport America, which will be its home base once the facility is complete.