New Mexico's space economy is important to our state, nation
Though New Mexico is one of the youngest states in the Union — once thought of as an uncharted and barren landscape on America’s western frontier — we are only the third state to successfully launch a mission to space.
New Mexico has a rich and unique history of technological innovation and space exploration. Being home to technologically advanced space infrastructure, decades of established public private partnerships, and sustained investment, our state is poised to play a vital role in the next generation of our national defense, research, and commercial space travel.
New Mexico is home to the world’s first commercial spaceport, Spaceport America. Adjacent to White Sands Missile Range and managed by the New Mexico Spaceport Authority, it is home to prominent tenants like Virgin Galactic, AeroVironment/HAPSMobile, and Spinlaunch, among other short-terms contractors operating out of this massive 18,000-acre facility with a 12,500 foot runway and 6,000 square miles of restricted airspace.
Telescopes at New Mexico Tech’s Magdalena Ridge Observatory can resolve objects at 100 times the resolution of the Hubble Space Telescope and respond rapidly to targets of opportunity through tracking and identifying missiles, artificial Earth satellites, space vehicles, and astronomical targets, and partners with the Air Force, NASA, and NSF. Air Force Research Laboratories, Sandia, and Los Alamos National Laboratories employ over 20,000 personnel, while New Mexico State University (NMSU) industry partnerships support the emerging commercial space sector and New Mexico Tech engages students in the realm of space development and technology
Having driven significant investment for decades through public-private partnerships, New Mexico is uniquely positioned at the forefront of our space industry. Space related investments from the private sector are now hitting record levels in what was once an entirely government-run endeavor.
I continue to push these priorities in the House appropriations process to ensure robust funding for our state and for our associated Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) public entities, private partners, and contractors. New Mexico encompasses one of the highest percentages of STEM workforce, and Aerospace and aviation related industries also supply thousands of jobs in our state, and has attracted over 60 companies with a presence in New Mexico.
Space dominance is not only an economic and scientific concern, but a matter of national security. China’s high-tech weapons capacity and growing assertiveness in the new space race should spur America to action. Their advances and successful tests with DF-17 hypersonic missiles allow for the speed and maneuverability to evade defense systems. New Mexico will have great strategic importance to national security readiness for the rest of the country and it is paramount that we maintain a technological edge.
Our spaceport, military installations, and National Laboratories will continue to be front and center in a new era of technology and exploration. I look forward to forging unique public-private partnerships across the state, bringing stakeholders to the table, and being a strong voice for New Mexico’s space sector in Washington.
This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: New Mexico's space economy is growing
