Spaceport Blog

Greetings from the Executive Director

Spaceport America is a unique opportunity, and when late last year I got the call offering the chance to lead this effort, I said, “Tell me more!”

The reason I am here is to be a part of something greater than myself, and to leave a legacy. I left a nice job in Phoenix, Arizona because I thought I could come to New Mexico and make a difference, be a part of history, and improve the lives of folks across the nation and the world. When my career is over I want to be able to look back and say, "I did things for the betterment of the community, I advanced technology, and I helped create a robust space industry that brought back that 1960’s feel of excitement when talking about space." There's potential here to accomplish all that and more.

With customers such as Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic and Lockheed Martin having signed agreements to launch and develop their space launch systems at Spaceport America, we have already become the world leader in commercial space before construction is finished in 2010. As with all things that have never been done before, there are many things to do and challenges to face in building the very first dedicated commercial spaceport, but I am honored to be part of the team that helps take the dream of commercial space and turn it into reality.

Best,

-Steve Landeene