Upham, New Mexico

Upham
Unincorporated community
Upham
Coordinates: 32°53′11″N 107°00′08″W
Country	United States
State	New Mexico
County	Sierra
Elevation [1]	4,561 ft (1,390 m)
GNIS feature ID	899972[1]

Upham (/ˈjuːˌfəm/ YOO-fum[2]) is an inhabited, unincorporated community and place in Sierra County, New Mexico, United States. It has gained recognition for being near the site for the Spaceport America facility being developed by the New Mexico Spaceport Authority.[3] This will be Virgin Galactic's world headquarters and mission control location.[4]

Upham is located approximately 30 miles east of Truth or Consequences, and 45 miles north of Las Cruces, in the southern part of the state[5] 4,557 feet (1,389 meters) above sea level. Virgin Galactic is the first space tourism company to develop commercial flights into space.

Sub-orbital commercial space launches began in 2007.[6][7]

Education

Truth or Consequences Municipal Schools is the school district for the entire county.[8] Truth or Consequences Middle School and Hot Springs High School, both in Truth or Consequences, are the district's secondary schools.

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Upham, New Mexico
2. The Place Names of New Mexico. p. 366.
3. "Spaceport America Breaks Ground In New Mexico". New Mexico Spaceport Authority. Retrieved May 20, 2011. UPHAM, NM – With New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, Spaceport America officials and supporters of commercial space development in attendance, the world's first purpose-built commercial spaceport broke ground today in southern New Mexico.
4. "News – SPACEPORT AMERICA RUNWAY DEDICATION". Virgin Galactic. October 10, 2010. Retrieved May 20, 2011. UPHAM, NM – The New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) today dedicated the nearly two-mile long "Governor Bill Richardson Spaceway" at Spaceport America, representing significant progress toward launching commercial customers into space from the desert of New Mexico.
5. SPACE.com - New Mexico: Building A Better Spaceport
6. "Private Firm Launches Test Shot From Spaceport America". space.com. Retrieved April 5, 2008.
7. "Lockheed Martin signs agreement with NM Spaceport". New Mexico Business Weekly. April 15, 2008. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
8. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Sierra County, NM" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 12, 2022. - Text list

External links

• New Mexico Spaceport blog by Mike McConnell
• David, Leonard (May 11, 2004). "New Mexico to host private X Prize spaceflight contests". CNN. Retrieved May 20, 2011. According to the agency's Web site, selection of a spaceport in New Mexico has centered on Upham, an undeveloped location in Southern New Mexico approximately 45 miles north of Las Cruces and 30 miles east of Truth or Consequences.