In southern New Mexico Spaceport America is a one-stop-shop for manufacturers to engineer, build, test, and launch spacecraft. Aerospace and defense manufacturing companies like Virgin Galactic, Castelion Inc., and SpinLaunch operate in the commercial spaceport. There's a significant amount of rocket-related production work done within this area, in addition to workforce development initiatives to attract and train new talent in the industry.
With such significant operations, there's an interest in knowing the economic impact of Spaceport America. To this end, New Mexico State University employed their Center for Border Economic Development to report on this. The resulting study — “Economic Impact of Spaceport America, 2019-2024" — highlighted the economic outcomes of the Spaceport's operations in those years. Their findings included a ~50% increase in jobs over that period, an increase in annual tax dollars from $7.3 million to $24.4 million, and the area's annual economic impact tripled in that time.
These figures and statistics show measurable value added to the area due to Spaceport America, which is owned by the State of New Mexico. Labeled as "Space Valley", this region in New Mexico isn't only attracting new Spaceport tenants, but also new manufacturing operations to the state, including a factory from Castelion Inc., who chose their location in Rio Rancho after testing at the Spaceport.
Spaceport America is part of an extensive network in New Mexico attracting investment to the area. The state has long had a history in aerospace and now, with the Spaceport operating in its borders, New Mexico is poised to be at the heart of our country's commercial space industry.