Aerospace/Aeronautics
New Mexico has a long tradition of innovation in aerospace and related technologies. Clear skies and mild weather, world-renowned research, a growing pool of investors, and an expanding aerospace industry make New Mexico an ideal location for the next generation of aerospace entrepreneurs. Institutions such as Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories and White Sands Missile Range continue to power the state’s position as a research hub while New Mexico’s Air Force Bases offer the infrastructure required by aerospace firms.
New Mexico’s traditions, research base and openness to innovation made the State the obvious site to stage the X Prize Cup. In October 2005, more than 15,000 spectators celebrated the advent of the New Space Race at the first X-Prize Cup spaceflight in Las Cruces. Recognizing New Mexico as the 21st century location for aerospace companies, Virgin Galactic is locating its world headquarters at Spaceport America, while the Rocket Racing League is making Las Cruces the world headquarters for racing its rocket-powered planes.
Spaceport America
The unveiling of Spaceport America, a visionary project many years in the making, has been ideal for New Mexico’s aerospace industry. In the early 1990s, a group of like-minded individuals called the Southwest Space Task Force felt the impetus to take New Mexico’s space industry to the next level: commercial space and reusable launch vehicles. Based on extensive study, they zeroed in on 27 square-miles of state-owned land, 45 miles north of Las Cruces as a location for an inland spaceport. The task force went to the New Mexico Economic Development Department and pleaded their case. The idea of a New Mexico spaceport was presented to Governor Richardson, resulting in the X Prize Foundation locating the X Prize Cup (the first true rocket festival) in New Mexico as well as legislation to finance the spaceport, and most recently, recruitment of aerospace pioneers like Virgin Galactic to New Mexico.
Two independent studies have forecasted the future of Spaceport America with differing, but positive projections.
A study conducted by New Mexico State University projects that by Spaceport America’s fifth year of operation, it will employ 2,300 people with a payroll of $300 million. Download the NMSU study.
Futron Corporation predicts that by 2020, Spaceport America will employ more than 5,000 people with an excess of $1.0 billion in total revenues. Download the Futron study.
Aerospace Incentives
New Mexico offers a competitive portfolio of incentives open to all businesses, regardless of industry. In addition, special advantages are offered to Aerospace companies:
• Aircraft Manufacturer Tax Deduction
• Aerospace Research and Development Tax Deduction
• Aircraft Refurbishing Tax Deduction
• Spaceport Gross Receipts Tax Deduction
To learn more, click here.
Research and Development
New Mexico is ranked second in the United States for its number of scientists and engineers as a percentage of the workforce. Supporting the aerospace community is a vast array of research institutions. Among them are:
• White Sands Missile Range - the world’s premier aerospace testing range, covering 2 million acres: http://www.wsmr.army.mil
• NASA’s White Sands Test Facility: http://www.wstf.nasa.gov
• Kirtland Air Force Base Research Laboratory: http://www.kirtland.af.mil/afrl_vs/
• Los Alamos National Laboratory: http://www.lanl.gov
• New Mexico State University Physical Science Laboratory: http://www.psl.nmsu.edu
• Sandia National Laboratories: http://www.sandia.gov
• SpacePlex: http://www.gdc4s.com
• Very Large Array http://www.vla.nrao.edu
Workforce Training
The New Mexico for Aerospace Research is located at NMSU in Las Cruces. NMSU also offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in Aeronautical Engineering. Embry Riddle Aeronautical University has branches in Clovis and Alamogordo; ENMU-Roswell offers a two year degree in aviation maintenance technology.
Contacts:
Professional Aerospace Contractors Association of New Mexico Inc: http://www.pacanm.org.
Spaceport America: http://www.spaceportamerica.com
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