Starchaser Still Alive

I'm glad to hear that these guys are still alive and plan to enter the sub-orbital tourism market.

I find it slightly ironic that Starchaser stresses it's "Brittishness" at every opportunity. Especially considering that it plans to do all of its launches from New Mexico.

This situation brings up an interesting dilemna for private for profit space ventures. The decision of where to base your launch operations is one of the most critical decisions you can make. Locations closer to the equator are easier cheaper launches. Locations in non-populated areas with lots of open space make for less hassles.

But what happens if this takes off? Take the tiny town of Mojave California where Burt Rutan's Space Ship One was built. Let's say this town becomes the spaceport of the world. Right know it's ideal because its remote location far away from skyscrapers and residents who will no doubt complain. But if we assume that space tourism explodes in the next decade, some tiny towns could become burgeoning frontier cities. Will people in this new huge Mojave be happy with all of these rockets flying overhead? Or will they do as those in big cities would typically do: lobby government to regulate the industry to death?

Either way at least Starchaser hasn't given up. And who knows they may give Burt and Sir Branson a run for their money.