Moment of truth nears for sleepy U.S. town on cusp of space flight

[bananas]

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/05/08/us-usa-spaceport-idUKKBN0DO0ZA20140508


Artist Roy Lohr, 69, sits in a "spaceship" he built in his back yard from wine and beer bottles in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico May 2, 2014. Credit: REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

Moment of truth nears for sleepy U.S. town on cusp of space flight
By Mary Milliken
TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES New Mexico Thu May 8, 2014 6:27pm BST

(Reuters) - After passing the sign reading "Danger Falling Aliens," New Mexico artist Roy Lohr and dog Yoda lead visitors to the "Spaceport" he has built in his backyard out of wine bottles and cement.

It's no wonder the lanky 69-year-old embraces the real Spaceport America in his town's backyard, the world's first space base built expressly for commercial launches and soon-to-be site of the first space flights with Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic.

<snip>

"It really is the democratization of space," said Spaceport Executive Director Christine Anderson, "that you and I and our children and grandchildren can think about going to space, about going to Mars."

She estimates there will be 200,000 visitors per year to Spaceport "when all our customers are flying."

<snip>

If he gets a free ticket, Lohr is game to go to space, but only "if Yoda would come with me."

I like that wall!

[Cooley Hurd]

1. Just for the record, I would TOTALLY pay $250 Grand for 5 minutes in space...

...except I don't HAVE $250 Grand. I should start a crowdsource acct for that. Anyone wanna chip in?

[oldandhappy]

2. I like T or C.

Glad he lives there and has people who appreciate him. Did not know Virgin Galactic was going there. Hope it will be good for the dusty economy there.