Southwest Regional Spaceport Fact Sheet 

The State of New Mexico proposes to develop and operate a 

commercial space launch site, the Southwest Regional 

Spaceport (SRS), at a site located approximately 45 miles 

north of Las Cruces and 30 miles southeast of Truth or 

Consequences (see map below). The State proposes to 

operate this site for horizontal and vertical launches of 

suborbital reusable launch vehicles that would launch from 

the SRS and return to the SRS or adjacent lands. Some 

expendable launch vehicles could be launched from the SRS 

safely if their components would not fall outside the SRS or 

adjacent lands, including White Sands Missile Range. To 

operate a commercial launch facility, the State must obtain 

a license from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 

Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST). 

Issuing a license is considered a major Federal action and is 

subject to environmental review as required by the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). For this proposed 

action, the FAA will prepare an Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS) to meet the requirements of NEPA. The 

proposed Federal action for this EIS is for the FAA to issue a 

launch site operator license to the New Mexico Economic 

Development Department (NMEDD) or its designated state 

agency. If approved, the FAA license will remain in effect 

for five years from the date of issuance unless surrendered, 

suspended, or revoked before the expiration of the term and 

is renewable upon application by the licensee. 

Location of the Proposed SRS with Respect to Surrounding Areas

A vertically launched Concept V3 vehicle will 

be analyzed in the EIS. Concept V3 vehicles 

consist of a single stage rocket with rocket 

powered vertical landing. The EIS will 

analyze a total of six vehicles, three 

horizontally launched concept vehicles and 

three vertically launched concept vehicles. 
 

How to Submit Comments 

For More Information 

If you are interested in the topics discussed at tonight’s meeting, we encourage you to visit the FAA’s 

website available at http://ast.faa.gov. 

You can request a copy of the Executive Summary or Draft EIS (when available) at the registration table 

tonight or by one of the methods described below. Please keep in mind that the Draft EIS is likely to be 

a large document and may include multiple volumes. 

The Draft EIS will be available on the FAA’s website and paper copies of the Draft EIS will be available in 

local libraries. 

To Submit Comments 

If you have written comments on the information provided tonight, please turn in your prepared 

comments or fill out one of the written comment sheets provided, and turn it in at the registration 

table before you leave tonight. 

Written comments can be mailed by March 3, 2006 to the FAA at: 

 Stacey M. Zee 

 FAA Environmental Specialist 

 Southwest Regional Spaceport EIS 

 c/o ICF Consulting 

 9300 Lee Highway 

 Fairfax, VA 22031 

Written comments can be faxed by March 3, 2006 to the FAA at (703) 934-3951. 

 

E-mail comments by March 3, 2006 at SRSEIS@icfconsulting.com. 

A Concept H2 vehicle is one of three 

horizontally launched vehicles that will be 

analyzed in the EIS. Concept H2 vehicles 

use rocket powered take off and flight and 

unpowered horizontal landing.

Proposed SRS airfield area, looking southeast