Spaceport America
New Mexico spaceport near the Green Data solar-powered data-centre proposal targeted by county moratoriums.
Last refreshed: 25 July 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why can't Sierra County's moratorium stop a data centre at Spaceport America?
Timeline for Spaceport America
Sierra County joins New Mexico revolt
Data Centres: Boom and BacklashBackground
Spaceport America, the state-owned commercial spaceport in Sierra County near Truth or Consequences, has been in talks with developer Green Data over a proposed solar-powered data centre on adjoining state trust land. The plan triggered Sierra County's 18-month data-centre moratorium on 21 July 2026, though no lease or development agreement for the campus has been signed.
Opened in 2011, the spaceport is best known as the home base for Virgin Galactic's suborbital tourism flights and hosts a range of vertical-launch tenants on its Runway and launch-pad infrastructure. The Green Data proposal remains under review by the New Mexico State Land Office rather than any county planning body.
Because Sierra County's moratorium does not bind activity on state trust land, the Green Data project's fate rests with State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard rather than county government, a split that has made the spaceport a test case for how New Mexico's county zoning powers stop at the edge of state-owned land in the data-centre boom.
