The New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) has selected a team comprising RS&H, Populous, and Zia Engineering & Environmental Consultants to spearhead the Spaceport America Master Plan Project. 

Located adjacent to the U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico, Spaceport America is the first purpose-built commercial spaceport in the world. It aims to serve as a multi-modal site for point-to-point space transportation, aerospace operations, research, development, and testing. 

The spaceport master plan study will explore the potential for future space and aviation operations, macro and micro-industry trends, national security space requirements and operations, public and private investments, potential launch vehicles operating from the site, frequency of flights, potential payloads, propellant storage, regulatory trends, and development options for future spaceport operations.

Populous will provide master-planning support, along with leading the branding and event programming analysis efforts during the year-long master-plan effort. 

“Commercial space operations are growing at a tremendous rate, and due to the foresight of New Mexico leaders going back more than two decades, Spaceport America is primed for this evolution,” said NMSA Executive Director, Scott McLaughlin. “The master plan will help sharpen the focus for this journey, concentrating on markets that best fit our substantial and unique competitive advantages — which someday will very likely include orbital launch and reentry.”

The team announced its readiness to work with local, state, and national aerospace leaders to guide the sustainable development of Spaceport America, which will help determine ways to support the entities that operate at the site. 

Additionally, the group assured to engage with the public during the master plan’s development through a “needs and wants” assessment.