THERE's a construction boom in the desert south of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico (population roughly 7000). Concrete is being poured, boundaries are being staked and every now and then trailers arrive, briefly forming the nuclei of small, impromptu camps. It doesn't look like much now, but in a few years the skies above this spot will ignite as those with both wealth and a sense of adventure realise a lifelong dream. This is where Richard Branson's fledgling company, Virgin Galactic, will blast paying passengers into sub-orbital space. This is Spaceport America.
Dreams don't come cheap, however. State officials have agreed to cough up a cool $100 million toward the project's $250 million construction cost, while a big chunk of the balance will ...
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