SPACEPORT AMERICA – A delegation from Japan’s space agency visited Spaceport America this week as it studies the future development of a spaceport in Tanegashima, days before severe weather forced the New Mexico facility to cancel its own 20th anniversary open house.
Representatives from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, met with community, government and aerospace leaders during the visit to Spaceport America.
The delegation is studying future spaceport development on Tanegashima, the Japanese island that is already home to the Tanegashima Space Center.
Spaceport America said representatives from NASA, White Sands Missile Range, Virgin Galactic, New Mexico State University and the NMSU Physical Science Laboratory participated in the visit. Representatives from the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance, New Mexico Economic Development Department and Las Cruces Mayor Eric Enriquez also took part.
The gathering was intended to demonstrate some of the government, academic, military and private-sector connections involved in developing and operating large-scale aerospace projects in southern New Mexico.
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Spaceport America said the visit also provided an opportunity to build international connections as commercial space development continues to expand.
The week was supposed to culminate with an open house celebrating Spaceport America’s 20th anniversary.
Instead, severe weather across New Mexico left roads leading to the facility flooded and inaccessible, according to Spaceport America. The conditions forced officials to cancel the event rather than bring visitors onto the site.
Spaceport America thanked those who had planned to attend and said it now intends to mark its 21st anniversary with another opportunity to open the facility to the public next year.
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