ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Some members of a legislative financial
oversight committee are asking whether Spaceport America will ever be
self-sufficient. Public funds bankrolled the years-long construction of
the desert outpost in southern New Mexico, and the Legislature has used
general fund dollars to address a shortfall in the facility's budget.
The spaceport’s executive director told lawmakers during a meeting
Monday in Truth or Consequences that about 65% of revenue now comes from
customer leases and fees and he hopes to grow that number. The
spaceport is home to anchor tenant Virgin Galactic, and a handful of
other aerospace ventures have used the port for testing and vertical
launches.