- Residents of Truth or Consequences, the site of Spaceport America, have big hopes for
space tourism . - About 200 residents attended a watch party Sunday to witness
Virgin Galactic 's first fully crewed flight to the edge ofspace . - Residents hope the budding Spaceport will bring jobs, tourism and revenue to the struggling city.
At 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, residents of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, began filling into a dimly lit auditorium for a watch party of Virgin Galactic's flight to the edge of space, with expectations soaring about what the successful trip could mean for their future.
Spaceport America, Virgin Galactic's launch site, is located on the outskirts of Truth or Consequences, a desert city of about 5,700 people. Residents have waited with anticipation for years to see a successful launch of a fully crewed space plane from Spaceport America-- marking the potential start of a new era of space tourism. Residents are hoping that paying customers who want to make the trip on a Virgin Galactic space plane will also brings jobs and revenue to their city.
"It's always been hope and excitement. It's a window to the future for our town," Ann Swanson, a owner of a local bed and breakfast, said. "We're glad to be here. It was great to witness it."
Though audience members checked their phones and chatted during most of the live stream, the roughly 200 attendees in the auditorium broke out into cheers and shouts once the VSS Unity plane rocketed to the edge of space. Despite a delay in launch time and glitches in the live stream, residents celebrated being at the center of cutting-edge science and a nascent space tourism industry.
"I never thought something like this would happen in Sierra County. We're a really small town, and there's a lot of room for development." Adrian Chavez, a reporter at the Sierra County Sentinel, said.
Any additional industry in the town is badly needed - Truth or Consequences lies in Siera County, one of New Mexico's poorest counties, its population has dwindled for decades, and a decades-long drought is endangering the local agriculture and tourism industry. The current median income is about $23,000 and according to the city manager, main jobs are in tourism, hospitality and agriculture.
"I'm so glad this launch happened especially since the lake is dying down. It's one of the town's biggest draws and now it's almost empty," Chavez said. "Having something like this to bring people to the town is really great."
Truth or Consequences has long been on the forefront of new technology, with White Sands Missile Range just miles away serving as a testing site for the first atomic bomb as well as the V-2 rocket tests.
But today, the focus was on the present and the future.
"It was a spectacular to be a witness to that fantastic event and to be here in this town," Susie Buhler, an owner of the 303 Gallery in Truth or Consequences said. "It's a great thing for our town."