---
title: "What Does a Spaceport Contract Look Like?"
id: 4673
type: "post"
slug: "spaceportamerica"
author: "NSE"
published: "2023-05-09T17:28:36+00:00"
modified: "2026-06-07T15:12:51+00:00"
canonical: "https://newspaceeconomy.ca/2023/05/09/spaceportamerica/"
markdown_url: "https://newspaceeconomy.ca/2023/05/09/spaceportamerica.md"
description: "Thanks to the SEC EDGAR database, we can examine a complete copy of a spaceport contract. The specific contract is the Spaceport America facilities contract…"
language: "en-US"
category:
  - "Space Economy"
post_tag:
  - "Business"
  - "Commercial Market"
  - "Economic Development"
  - "Government"
  - "Human Spaceflight"
  - "Space Companies"
  - "Spacecraft"
  - "United States"
  - "Virgin Galactic"
---

# What Does a Spaceport Contract Look Like?

![](https://i0.wp.com/newspaceeconomy.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/newspaceeconomy_picture_of_a_pile_of_legal_documents_sitting_on_c0a894a8-0ae8-4764-b387-0ec42ae5489a-1.png?resize=696%2C696&ssl=1)

Thanks to the SEC EDGAR database, we can examine a complete copy of a [spaceport](https://newspaceeconomy.ca/2022/10/30/spaceports-a-quick-overview/) contract. The specific contract is the [Spaceport America](https://spaceportamerica.com/) facilities contract between the New Mexico Spaceport Authority and Virgin Galactic:

- [Main Agreement](https://lnkd.in/dnqeXcEp)
- [Amendment](https://lnkd.in/dgERTVUH)

**Some background –**

A spaceport provides facilities and services for the launch and receipt of spacecraft. The United States currently has [13 FAA licensed spaceports](https://lnkd.in/dcBYAjf8). BryceTech has published a full map of all global spaceports which is available [here](https://lnkd.in/dTbT25b7).

[Spaceport America](https://spaceportamerica.com/) in New Mexico is the world’s first [purpose built](https://lnkd.in/dfkacKri) commercial spaceport. The spaceport [is licensed](https://lnkd.in/dJy3kJ-Ry) by the FAA for horizontal and vertical launches.

**[Spaceport America](https://spaceportamerica.com/) and Virgin Galactic Relationship –**

The spaceport was built and is operated by the New Mexico state government. Virgin Galactic is the anchor tenant. [Virgin Galactic currently pays](https://lnkd.in/dN6qWQEn) [Spaceport America](https://spaceportamerica.com/) approximately $5 million a year in rent and user fees.

The facility cost the state government over [$220 million](https://lnkd.in/dNX-chJh). [Spaceport America](https://spaceportamerica.com/) currently [operates at a loss](https://lnkd.in/dYpHBCNj) with rental and user fees only covering 60% of the costs to operate and maintain. The budget shortfall [is paid for](https://lnkd.in/d68aWuFN) by the New Mexico state government.

The state government considers [Spaceport America](https://spaceportamerica.com/) an economic development investment, however there [has been discussion](https://lnkd.in/dCKiBsAp) of selling the facility and privatizing it. New Mexico is also considering [legislation to tax](https://lnkd.in/dy-JKUaQ) Virgin Galactic tickets to space.

[Spaceport America](https://spaceportamerica.com/) has been controversial from the start –

[Spaceport America – Perhaps The Nation’s Most Controversial Spaceport](https://space-economy.space/2022/02/04/spaceportamerica/)

[Spaceport America and Virgin Galactic: The Numbers Never Added Up](https://lnkd.in/dt_4PWHw)

[Former New Mexico spaceport CFO alleges fraud](https://lnkd.in/dUjTsC9H)

[Report Concludes Former Spaceport America Director Violated State Laws](https://lnkd.in/dsFJfgzm)

**Additional information for the curious –**

[Space Tourism Market Analysis](https://space-economy.space/2022/02/08/space-tourism-market-analysis/)

[When Will Virgin Galactic Run Out Of Money?](https://space-economy.space/2022/02/05/when-will-virgin-galactic-run-out-of-money/)

[New Mexico Commercial Space Port Economic Impact Study](https://lnkd.in/dSivfBFZ)

[New Mexico Space Authority Economic Development Plan, 2013 to 2018](https://lnkd.in/dEWEBiNx)

[Spaceport America Business Development Plan, 2016 to 2020](https://lnkd.in/dpqDcqMU)

[Spaceport America Economic and Fiscal Impacts Analysis](https://lnkd.in/dnujkzAc)

[Southwest Regional Spaceport Business Plan](https://lnkd.in/d7JvJGs7)

[Spaceport America 2021 Update](https://bit.ly/3Gn7hSE)

[Virgin Galactic EDGAR Records](https://bit.ly/3L7sQdo)