The Sound of Failure

I know, I know, it's only a test flight. But still, the rocket failure down at our new multi-million dollar spaceport is news.

UPHAM — A rocket that took off from New Mexico's spaceport crash-landed in the desert after a few minutes in the air, failing in its mission to reach sub-orbital space, officials said.

It wasn't immediately clear where the rocket landed, or what condition it was in. The 20-foot SpaceLoft XL rocket, among the first to launch from a commercial spaceport, was carrying 50 experimental and other payloads for its planned journey 70 miles above Earth.

The rocket took of at 2:14 p.m., and was due back about 13 minutes later at White Sands Missile Range, just north of the launch site.

But something apparently went wrong, sending the rocket prematurely to the ground.

Associated Press

There have been many objections to the spaceport, but at this point it is going to go on no matter what. Usually what Richardson wants, he gets. But in this case, I'm sure that he didn't want the rocket to crash.

When it was announced, I voiced my concerns, back in May.

New Mexico is near or at the bottom of many major categories including education and amount of people insured. Surely the $100 million that the state is going to pony up for the spaceport could go towards schooling.

And the location of the spaceport isn't exactly ideal. It will be built in Upham, NM. Never heard of it? Me either - and I've lived in New Mexico my whole life. It's a thirty minute drive for Truth or Consequences. When T or C is the big town near you...that's not a good sign.

Like I said, maybe this will be a huge moneymaker in five, ten, twenty years. Maybe I'm being shortsighted. But I'd rather have this money go to something more tangible, more immediate.

May 23, 2006

And I'm not the only one. As I noted in a News Roundup two weeks ago, public opinion is against the spaceport as well.

As I said before, if the spaceport becomes a huge moneymaker, I'll eat my words. But I think the money could be better spent.