Space Port Managers

The Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan was the first space port. It was the site of the first satellite launch (Sputnik 1) in 1957. Soviet astronaut Yuri Gagarin was launched from this site in 1961 and became the first human in space. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida was the first space port in the United States. It was the site of the first U.S. satellite launch (Explorer 1) in 1958. During the following decades, space agencies in the Soviet Union, the U.S., and other countries built additional space ports. In recent years, the private aerospace industry has taken a prominent role in the space sector, and state and regional space authorities have built space ports to attract business. Spaceport America was the first purpose-built commercial spaceport in the world. It is owned and operated by the State of New Mexico through the New Mexico Spaceport Authority. According to its Web site, Spaceport America “has been launching vehicles to space (as defined by the U.S. Air Force space as 50 miles above the Earth’s surface) since 2007.” Virgin Galactic, AeroVironment, UP Aerospace, and SpinLaunch are some of the best-known tenants at the facility. Some private space companies, such as SpaceX, operate their own space ports. Regardless of ownership, managers are needed to operate these large and highly complex facilities. In the future, there will also be a need for managers to help oversee space ports on the moon and in other locations.