space tourism
Spaceport America, which is located close to the town of Truth or Consequences in New Mexico, will be home to Virgin Galactic's mission control. Following a successful test flight with a passenger in February of this year, Virgin Galactic is edging ever closer to offering trips for space tourists. Hundreds of people from around the world have already put down deposits for Virgin's suborbital flights.
The agency is trying to raise money so they can send astronauts to the Moon in 2024.
Virgin Galactic completed their first successful test flight in the Mojave desert. The rocket plane blasted to the edge of space and returned safely, capping off years of difficult testing to become the first US commercial human flight to reach space since America's shuttle programme ended in 2011.