Space Age Artwork Unveiled at Spaceport America
An impressive sculpture is now in place at the main entrance of New Mexico's Spaceport America.
Artist Otto Rigan has created GENESIS – a multi-ton sculpture that is 40 feet wide, 23 feet high and 5 feet deep. GENESIS is fabricated from steel and cast glass. The finish of the artwork will continue to patina over time.
New Mexico's Department of Cultural Affairs funded the sculpture designed specifically for the spaceport through the Art in Public Places program. The simple yet strong design is to convey the beginning of a New Space Age. [Take a Photo Tour of Spaceport America]
In other Spaceport America news, the visitor experience is almost complete.
The Spaceport America Experience has three parts. The Spaceport Visitor Center located in Truth or Consequences (T or C), the shuttle bus ride to the spaceport, and the Gateway Gallery located in the Gateway to Space building.
The Gateway Gallery features a G-Shock Simulator, many interactive kiosks and displays focused on the science behind the commercial space industry. In addition, there are several displays of archaeological artifacts from the region.
Purpose-built
Spaceport America is the first purpose-built commercial spaceport in the world.
The launch complex, situated on 18,000 acres adjacent to the U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico, has been providing commercial vertical launch services since 2006. Spaceport America has hosted 21 vertical launches thus far.
The New Mexico Spaceport Authority continues to work closely with its tenants, Virgin Galactic and SpaceX, and its other flight customers in support of the commercial space industry.
Spaceport America is to be the focus point for Virgin Galactic's effort to create a public space tourism business. The site will also soon see test flights by SpaceX in that firm's work on flyback boosters.
Leonard David has been reporting on the space industry for more than five decades. He is former director of research for the National Commission on Space and is co-author of Buzz Aldrin's 2013 book "Mission to Mars – My Vision for Space Exploration," published by National Geographic, with a new updated paperback version to be released in May. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+.
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