New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez said her administration supports Spaceport America and explained her administration wants to see Spaceport America succeed but feels taxpayer money should be spent wisely in helping the multi-million dollar project.Earlier this week her administration sought and gained the resignation of Spaceport America director Rick Homans, a long-time sparkplug for the development of the special purpose commercial suborbital spaceport.
"The people from two out of three counties, who had an opportunity to vote, voted, and they supported it," said Martinez. "And we have to make sure that we are honoring what the voters have said. However, we also want to bring as much private industry so that the burden isn't so heavy on the taxpayer."
The shake-up and resignation of Rick Homas brought a measure of uncertainty into the commercial spaceport mix this week as the $210-million spaceport investment proceeds with plans to launch SpaceShipTwo Enterprise with commercial paying passengers from the high desert next year.
Doug Messier at ParabolicArc notes that Apollo-era moonwalker and former US Senator Harrison ' Jack' Schmitt is among those providing counsel to the new governor on the spaceport. Dr. Schmitt will join her administration in a cabinet position.
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