Starchaster Industries, a contender for the $10 million Anasari X Prize, plans an office in Las Cruces, said Rick Homans, New Mexico's economic development secretary. Launches in New Mexico could begin as early as 2006.

New Mexico will host a competition of privately developed space vehicles for the X Prize, an annual version of the current Ansari X Prize competition that ends Jan. 1, 2005.

Gov. Bill Richardson said the Starchaser announcement demonstrates New Mexico is becoming a worldwide leader in space commercialization.

Starchaser was founded by Steve Bennett, the director of Space Technology at Salford University. Fourteen of his company's 16 unmanned launches have been successful.

Bennett was excited about conducting flights at the Southwest Regional Spaceport near Las Cruces.

The lack of air traffic in the area, coupled with the 4,000-foot elevation and it's proximity to local amenities, make for an ideal launch site, he said.

All rights reserved. Copyright 2004 by United Press International. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by United Press International. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of by United Press International.

Community
Email This Article
Comment On This Article

Related Links
SpaceDaily
Search SpaceDaily
Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express
Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News