“The Rio Grande Valley Is Becoming the Space Valley” Dan Schatzman May 22, 2021: Virgin Galactic makes history in New Mexico History was made today in New Mexico, as the Land of Enchantment became the third U.S. state to launch humans into space. Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity sent two pilots and NASA technology supported experiments in space. Today's flight marked three firsts - it is the first spaceflight from Virgin Galactic's headquarters at Spaceport America; it's the first time humans have flown into space from the state of New Mexico and C.J. Sturckow is now the first astronaut to fly into space from three different U.S. states..... Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham says today's flight is a game changer, and will open the doors for commercial space flights from New Mexico. Whether you are an investor, a manufacturer, a traveler or an astronomer, the space industry has never been as attractive as it is today. The forecast for its growth is astounding. For example, Morgan Stanley projects the Space industry’s revenues to grow to more than $1 trillion by 2040. In its report Spaceport America titled Space: Investing in The Final Frontier, the author suggests that declining launch costs, advances in technology and rising public-sector interest will likely position space exploration as the next trillion-dollar industry. Costs will progressively decrease by reusable rockets, mass production of satellites, and maturity of satellite technology. To put this into perspective, where it once cost ~$200 million to launch a satellite, today it costs ~ $60 million, with the potential to drop to $5 million. Additionally, satellite mass production could reduce costs to $500K, the Morgan Stanley report suggests. “Before such US entrepreneurs as Elon Musk (SpaceX), Jeff Bezos (Blue Origin) and Richard Branson (Virgin Galactic), space exploration was almost completely driven by the government and a handful of Fortune 100 traditional aerospace companies, including Boeing, Northrup Grumman and Lockheed Martin”, says Dan Schatzman, CEO of Jaguar Precision Machine (JPM). He continued, “One of the fastest growing industries in the world is the space industry. It is an immense universe and there is plenty of room for all of us. The new players are leveraging miniaturized technologies which make access to space more efficient, lighter and less expensive.” He adds, “I don’t see new manufacturing companies getting into the market as competition. Instead, it looks more like a larger and better infrastructure to help the US companies grow this infinite market and it is critical that the USA continue to be the leader in space!” Today, North America has the highest market share in the spacecraft market, primarily given the influence and sizeable space budget of NASA. Kevin O’Connell, 20
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Direc tor, O ffice of Space Commerce U.S. Department of Commerce, says, “The race for the 2060 space economy is on, and co m p e t i t i o n is not a detri- Dan Schatzman, CEO ment because JPM it stimulates innovations that benefit all of humanity. This is possible when it is fueled by adaptive U.S. government policies, strong private sector entrepreneurship, a strong finance and insurance ecosystem, an inspired and growing workforce, and effective partnerships. As the global partner of choice, the US and its allies stand to prevail and maintain the lion’s share in the economy. However, this race is much less about market share than it is about the norms, values, and behaviors that will carry us into the heavens to explore the Moon and other planets and will create breath-taking new capabilities to improve our lives back on Earth for all of humanity. We simply cannot fail in this race!” New Mexico has a rich history in the space industry. Robert Goddard, inventor of the liquid fuel rocket, early on recognized its suitability for space research. What made the state particularly well suited for rocket launches were its large expanse of flat open space, little vegetation to catch on fire, few people to be frightened or injured, good weather throughout the year, power availability, access to rail and air transportation, and higher elevation for fuel conservation. In 1930, Goddard moved to Roswell, NM and his first rocket launch that year reached an astounding altitude of 2000 feet and a speed of 500 miles an hour. A decade later he launched the first manmade vehicle to travel faster than the speed of sound and sent a rock to an altitude of nearly 9000 feet. For the same reasons Goddard selected New Mexico for its test site, in 1945 the US Army established the first atmosphere testing rocket
