Employees of Virgin Galactic are starting to be relocated to Spaceport America in New Mexico. According to the Las Cruces Sun-News, “Virgin Galactic recently relocated U.K.-based staff to Las Cruces, advertised some new hiring and announced its leasing office space off Roadrunner Parkway – all signs of an operational ramp up in southern New Mexico that will continue throughout 2012.
“The moves are in preparation for the start of space tourism flights from Spaceport America just north of Do-a Ana County – possibly in 2013.
“But they’re also the most tangible signs of permanent, local job creation since Virgin Galactic – billed as the world’s first commercial spaceline – first courted New Mexico with its suborbital spaceflight proposal seven years ago.”
Virgin Galactic plans to hire locally whenever possible for both blue collar and white collar jobs. The company says those already living in New Mexico have preference.
When Spaceport America is up and fully operational (within the couple of years) there will be a least 200 employees on the payroll according to Virgin Galactic. In a time when this country needs jobs, jobs, jobs, this news can’t come too soon.
