The Arrowhead Center at New Mexico State University and the Center for Border Economic Development recently released a report detailing the economic impact of Spaceport America on surrounding communities.
The report, sponsored by the New Mexico Spaceport Authority, gives insight into money generated by the taxpayer-funded facility in 2022.
According to the report, Spaceport America was directly responsible for 549 jobs, $138 million in total economic output, and nearly $13 million generated in federal and state taxes.
Dr. Francisco Pallares, Director of Business Development at the New Mexico Spaceport Authority said he expects Sierra County to see an influx of economic activity between Virgin Galactic’s planned astronaut training facility and the company’s regularly scheduled launches.
“This consistency will also bring a consistency of visitors, a consistency of revenue, and consistency in a higher level of activity that happens at the spaceport that not only drives visitors, not only drives the operations of the aerospace industry, but that starts changing the landscape of how people see Southern New Mexico as an area in which aerospace activities happen on a very frequent basis.”
Pallares said that the Spaceport Authority’s collaboration with NMSU’s Arrowhead Center will add transparency and consistent economic perspective for the spaceport moving forward.
“What we’re trying to have with the economic impact reports is to [have a] consistent way in which we measure the impacts that we have year to year at the spaceport. And we can do this in a systematic way that is driven by a university,” he said. “We are finding ways in which we can consistently measure that performance and be able to speak out of fact.”
Pallares said that the success of Virgin Galactic’s launches will attract other aerospace companies to New Mexico. Spaceport America is set to host Virgin Galactic’s third commercial space launch on September 8.
