New Mexico's Spaceport America has hosted nearly 30 vertical rocket launches and its futurist hangar and runway are ready for tourists as all the infrastructure is in place for the next step in the commercial space race.
That's why director Christine Anderson is giving up her view of the remote desert outpost, saying there's no better time to pass the baton.
Anderson announced her resignation earlier this summer. Her last day is Tuesday and the search is underway for her successor.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Anderson said she believes in the commercial space industry and still sees the taxpayer-financed spaceport as a game changer for the state.
She says it's attracting more aerospace customers and is on track for the next fiscal year to have 90 percent of its operating budget funded through lease revenues and other user fees.
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