LAS CRUCES, Sun-News report – Will Smith and his son, Jaden, star together in the film “After Earth” which is scheduled to open on May 31. On Friday, though, the father-and-son duo were in southern New Mexico at Spaceport America to help promote the film as well as promote a pact between Virgin Produced – the film and television arm of Virgin Group – with Overbrook Entertainment.
Virgin Galactic is a tenant at Spaceport America, the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport, about 40 miles north of Las Cruces.
Overbrook Entertainment will support the “After Earth” franchise, according to a release. The movie’s plot involves a crash landing that leaves the two main characters stranded on earth 1,000 years after humanity left the planet.
In 2011 it was announced that Fox ordered 13 episodes of a new documentary series, Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey, slated to air some time this year.
The original series was broadcast on PBS in 1980, the first of its kind, space exploration docu-series based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Pulitzer Prize winning scientist and author Carl Sagan, became the most widely watched series in the history of American public television for ten years running.
MacFarlane told Wired Magazine in the summer of 2012, “I’m dismayed at the rejection of science that’s reemerging in America. There’s nothing out there that glamorizes science the way Cosmos did.”
The year before MacFarlance told the New York Times of his passion for the final frontier, saying, “We’re obsessed with angels and vampires and whatnot when there are many more exciting and very real and much more spectacular things to be excited about, that are right in our own planetary backyard.”
And now the home of America’s first and only commercial spaceport can announce that the ultimate throwback into the future will be based in our own backyard.
Months of top secret preparations ensure that this upcoming odyssey into the earthly explorations of the vast reaches of the universe will be sure to amaze.
New Mexico, here is your first chance to begin vying for your own part of Seth MacFarlane’s version of Carl Sagan’s, Cosomos:
From Lorrie Latham:
Local casting is looking for a 14 mo (more or less) toddler girl to work in a scene on Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey She needs to be just learning to walk and still tottering between walking and not.
This is a paid position and will be a one-day shoot at the Santa Fe Studios. It pays more than standard background pay.
If you know someone with a toddler (must be a girl) please have them email: lorrie@lathamcasting.coms
Keep it right here for more upcoming cast & crew info.!
Commercial space adventure pioneer, Sir Richard Branson announced his latest star client Monday saying, “I gave Ashton a quick call to congratulate and welcome him. He is as thrilled as we are at the prospect of being among the first to cross the final frontier with us and to experience the magic of space for himself.”
MTV News Reports (sans mention of NM):
When you’re a single guy in your 30s making more than $700,000 per episode on a sitcom, there isn’t much that’s out of your financial reach. Wanna go out and buy a car today with cash? Go for it. Hell, buy two!
That and the actor’s “whatever, dude” attitude might explain why British adventure billionaire Richard Branson announced on his blog this week that Ashton Kutcher, 34, has signed up to be the 500th space tourist on Branson’s Virgin Galactic airlines. The suborbital spacecraft will give passengers a few minutes of weightlessness at a cost of $200,000 per ride.
Branson expects to launch a test flight beyond the Earth’s atmosphere this year and possibly start sending commercial passengers into space in 2013 or 2014 on its six-passenger jets.
Of course, that’s if things progress on track. In the meantime, we were wondering: What other kinds of outer-limits adventures or experiences Ashton could have while he’s awaiting a shot at the great beyond? » Read the full post
Posted by Sindicator on February 17, 2012 | Comments Off
In a quest to push American music beyond the stratosphere, the Foo Fighters have announced their intentions to record their next album in outer space!
Why not? Their fans and the Grammys were “over the moon” (forgive me M.K) for the back to basics garage band recording methods on their most recent album…
As you and the whole wide world ought to know, there’s only one way to launch the Foos into space and that means first stop, NEW MEXICO baby!
Yes, the one and only commercial spaceport on the planet calls The Land of Enchantment home. So, in addition to the Foo ties that bind our great state to the band, their galactic transit aspirations would bring them our way again!
Posted by Sindicator on February 8, 2012 | Comments Off
UPDATE 2/10/12: Governor Susana Martinez is urging lawmakers to revisit the tabled bills stating that a “boost to local economies” is at stake. Via Capitol Report New Mexico
Insert Doodlebop bus horn sound here.
In “world’s first and only commercial” Spaceport news, New Mexico Legislators have all but killed a bill that would have limited the ability of space travelers to file suit against manufacturers of parts and equipment used for “inter-galactic” travel, in case of loss or injury.
Las Cruces Senator Mary Kay Papen (D), who introduced the bill says, “I think it will have a slowdown” and calls it a setback, citing a lack of legal protection for Spaceport America suppliers. Furthermore, The Albuquerque Journal reports: Officials claim at least two major companies may otherwise choose to go elsewhere like Texas, Florida or Virginia, where parts manufacturers are not held liable for death or injury when their products malfunction during commercial space travel.
While passenger liability claims options remain open at this time, Spaceport America has unveiled plans for 2013 visitor access.
TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, (AP) — Spaceport America visitors would be able to go on behind-the-scenes tours and visit the Virgin Galactic Gateway to Space in southern New Mexico.
It’s all part of the visitor experience plan unveiled this week by the New Mexico Spaceport Authority. The board of directors reviewed plans to design, build and program the visitor experience.
The plan calls for welcome centers in Hatch and Truth or Consequences.
There would also be a visitor center at the spaceport. Officials say the goal is to immerse visitors in the excitement of the world’s first commercial spaceport built specifically for launching people and payloads into space.
Officials expect more than 200,000 people will visit annually.
The initial visitor experience program is expected to begin operating in 2013, about the time Virgin Galactic plans to begin commercial operations at Spaceport America.
Posted by Sindicator on October 19, 2011 | Comments Off
DATELINE AUSTRALIA, (not part of the USA) – No wonder no one can find NM on a map of North America (I’m looking at you USA Today of the early 90s, which reversed NM & AZ…At least you had the pre-cognition to cite the future likeness in immigration “standards”).
Anyhoo, SPACEPORT AMERICA has had its grand opening…complete with celebrity, actual astronaut and Royal sightings alike. NM Tourism much? No? Well it happened, with but a blip (à la the AP/Associated Press news wire in most cases), on the NM news scene back on Monday.
From a current 500 jobs, sky rocketing (wink) to a whopping 2K future (forecasted) jobs, the NM spaceport has been officially christened! EVEN our own Governess was there!
The “Keys to a New Dawn” event has already gone down but the future upscale launches can only take NM up!
Houston Spaceport, New Mexico we (will soon) have lift-off.
Stratosphere defying stars and billionaires alike will soon be able to make the trek out to Spaceport America, NM for the first of the commercial tourism flights as charted by the Virgin Galactic/New Mexico venture that is Spaceport AMERICA.
From the Associated Press via Las Cruces Sun News:
White Knight Two touches down in NM desert
Virgin Galactic’s Sir Richard Branson, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and prospective astronauts gathered in the southern New Mexico desert Friday to celebrate the completion of the runway at the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport.
Spaceport America is the world’s first facility designed specifically to launch commercial spacecraft. The celebration of its nearly-two-mile-long runway comes less than two weeks after another major step for Virgin Galactic: the first solo glide flight of its space tourism rocket ship.
Branson called it an emotional and historic day. The British billionaire said he expects flights for space tourists to begin in nine to 18 months, and he will be among the first passengers…
As chronicled in the business section of the Denver Post Nuevo México is the go-to spot for commercial space exploration in the west.
“Virgin Galactic, which has signed a 20-year lease that calls for $1 million payments a year to the spaceport for five years and then more money to cover costs, has deposits from more than 300 people signed up for $200,000 each.
The rides will take off from and land on the spaceport’s 10,000-foot-long runway, which is close to completion. The 110,000-square-foot terminal hangar facility — which resembles an outer-space manta ray — should be completed by year’s end…
Spaceport America already has created about 600 construction jobs. Studies by Futron Corp. and New Mexico State University estimate that within five years, the spaceport will generate about 2,300 jobs and $300 million in revenues. By 2015, those numbers rise to 3,460 jobs and $552 million in revenues.”
- Ann Schrader, Denver Post
Imagehttp://www.spaceportamerica.com/news/photo-gallery.html – Spaceport America Designed by URS/Foster + Partners
Conceptual Image courtesy of Vyonyx Ltd.
Posted by Sindicator on April 6, 2010 | Comments Off
“Richard Branson, de Britse miljardair en oprichter van Virgin Galatic hoopt al in 2011 de eerste passagiersvlucht te kunnen maken vanaf het nog in aanbouw zijnde Spaceport America in New Mexico. Er zijn inmiddels al ongeveer 330 reserveringen voor zo’n vlucht.” – Engineernet.be
“‘Shantaram’ is sleeping now. It just depends on Johnny Depp. He is the producer and quite obsessed by the movie. So, I am sure we will be making ‘Shantaram’. Johnny is an incredibly-busy actor, and the film will surely roll when Johnny has a window of time.” – Director Mira Nair, to The Hindu re: her upcoming film based on the novel by Gregory David Roberts, slated to shoot in New Mexico.
“Dovrebbero iniziare domani le riprese in esterni di Thor, il kolossal supereroistico tratto dai fumetti Marvel e diretto da Kenneth Branagh. Pare che produzione abbia ricreato una intera cittadina in New Mexico…” -BadTasteit
“I produttori hanno cercato in lungo e largo un luogo che apparisse come un posto di ristoro per camionisti nel mezzo del deserto del Mojave. “Tutti sanno com’è, giusto?” dice Stewart “Prova a trovarlo. Noi abbiamo dovuto ricostruirlo nel New Mexico. Sembrava che era lì da cinquant’anni. Ancora oggi le persone ci si fermano per fare rifornimento di carburante”. – Megamodo
“Between New Moon and Eclipse, I filmed Remember Me, a dramatic romantic movie. In February I will begin in Budapest Bel Ami, with Uma Thurman and Kristen Scott Thomas. And next summer the western Unbound Captives in New Mexico, with Hugh Jackman. My character was kidnapped by comanches, and doesn’t speak a word of English. They are different movies, I don’t want to be a vampire for the rest of my life.” Robert Pattinson to Italy’s Panorama Magazine
“Όσο και αν προσπαθούν οι πρωταγωνιστές και ο σκηνοθέτης με την εξαιρετική παγωμένη ατμόσφαιρα του New Mexico, η ταινία δε καταφέρνει να γίνει κάτι παραπάνω από αυτό που απλά είναι, ένα οικογενειακό δράμα που μάλιστα έχουμε ξαναδεί. Ο Sheridan πάντως καταφέρνει να το κάνει αρκετά ενδιαφέρον με το γρήγορο μοντάζ και τις ωραίες εναλλαγές και μας γλιτώνει από τις αμέτρητες φόρες που θα βλέπαμε το ρολόι μας. Σε καμιά περίπτωση δεν είναι κακό αλλά κανένας τομέας του δε καταφέρνει να ξεχωρίσει.” – MyFilm.gr
The series focuses on Branson’s dedication to the mission of commercial space travel.
Virgin Galactic’s Spaceport America is located in southern New Mexico adjacent to the conversely historic El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro and is the world’s first and only civilian space exploration site.
Photo by 
