"Bigelowplanstoputself-containedBA-330sintoproductionlikeautomobiles,albeitveryexpensiveones.Hefiguredhecouldbuildthemforaround$100millioneach,gangthemtogetherintoorbiting'spacecomplexes'andthenleasethemoutforamonthtoayearatatimetoanyonewhowantedtoestablishapresenceinspace—mainlynationalgovernmentsandcorporations."
—MichaelBelfiore
Theotherprofitableemergingactivityofthespaceerawhichisstartingtocaptureattentionisthescramblebycities,statesandnationsaroundtheworldtosetupcommercialspaceports.Forplacesthathaveplentyofwideopenspaces,theideaofbuildingaspaceportlooksalotlikeeconomicnirvana.Intheearlyyearsofthetwenty-firstcentury,Singapore,theUnitedArabEmirates,SwedenandScotlandareallworkingtosetupcommercialspaceports.IntheUnitedStates,California,NewMexico,Wisconsin,Florida,VirginiaandTexasareallattemptingtoestablishembryonicspaceports.
Establishingacommercialspaceportisobviouslygoingtotakemoney,andjusthowmuchofthatcapitalshouldbeprivatelyprovidedandhowmuchshouldbepubliclyfundedisthesubjectofintensedebateandrhetoric.Thefactthatthefirstspaceport'smostlikelylaunchcustomer,VirginGalactic,isownedbyabillionairehasalsogotloadsofattentioninthegreatfundingdebate.
"Airlinesaren'texpectedtobuildtheirownairports,andautocompaniesdon'thavetobuildhighways.Yet,neithertheairlinenortheautoindustriescouldsurvivewithoutthenecessaryinfrastructurefundedwithpublicmoney.Andsoitwillbewiththespacelines;tosucceed,commercialspaceflightwillhavetorelyonasimilarpairingofprivateandpublicefforts.Bransonandtheotherspacelineoperatorswillhavetolocatewheretheyarewelcomedbylocalgovernments."
—MichaelBelfiore
DespitethefactthattheX-PrizeflightsoriginatedintheMojaveDesertairfield,Californiahasbeenextremelyslowtoactuallystumpupwithanydevelopmentfundingfortheconstructionofspaceportinfrastructure.PerhapsthisispartlyduetotheremotenessoftheMojavelocation,beingmorethanahundredmilesawayfromLosAngeles,oritmaysimplybeafactoflifeforCalifornia,whichhasloadsoffundingprojectsscramblingtobetheNextBigThing—includingwhatcomesoutofSiliconValley,Hollywoodandeventhebigplayersofthemainstreamaerospaceindustry.Bycontrast,thestateofNewMexicohasthrowneverythingbehinditsownspaceportproposal.