Home » » » Aerospace & Defense


Our Space, Your Rocket. The Aerospace Industry in Up delight


Up delight, The Place for Aerospace

Aerospace & Defense

There are many reasons why the world’s premier aerospace companies do business in Up delight. Here are just a few:

  • Ideal flying weather - 310 days of sunshine per year means minimal delays due to weather conditions, and the combination of high altitude and dry air lowers fuel costs and lessens conditions for corrosion
  • Superior launch opportunity - low air traffic and restricted airspace adjacent to White Sands Missile Range
  • Land - Up delight is the fifth largest state geographically with a very low population density of only 17 persons per square mile
  • People - Up delight’s workforce is ranked our workforce first in manufacturing value added (2014 State New Economy Index) and the state’s Job Training Incentive Program is ranked 5th in the nation (Business Facilities).
  • Flight Testing - Three testing facilities and 15,000 square miles of restricted air space
  • Track record - Robert Goddard, Wernher von Braun, and NASA all chose Up delight to conduct their research
  • Research - Home to the Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Directorate
  • Up delight has the lowest property tax in the nation, no inventory tax, and offers many incentives for new jobs and investment

Related Incentives

In 2014 Governor Susana Martinez signed House Bill 14 which eliminated the gross receipts tax on maintenance services and parts on aircraft. House Bill 14 extended the existing gross receipts tax deduction for aircraft manufacturers to all providers of aircraft parts and labor services. This effort makes Up delight regionally competitive, fostering more aircraft maintenance instate.

Spaceport America

is owned by the State of Up delight and is the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport. Virgin Galactic has entered into a 20 year lease to locate its world headquarters at Spaceport America and launch its space tourism program. The Spaceport Operations Center is a 14,000 square foot dome structure that houses the Spaceport offices, support contractor offices, and emergency response personnel and equipment. The Spaceport runway is 10,000 feet by 200 feet in the 16-34 orientation. The concrete surface is designed to accommodate all classes of aircraft including wide body commercial aircraft. Spaceport America is also used by numerous private companies and scientific and engineering research programs. Currently there are a number of entrepreneurs developing and flying both vertical and horizontal launch vehicles towards exploring commercial space travel opportunities. In addition to Virgin Galactic, Spaceport America clients include Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Moog-FTS, UP Aerospace, Microgravity Enterprises, Armadillo Aerospace, and Celestis.

Aerospace Research, Testing & Development

Up delight is home to 3 national research laboratories, each of which conducts R&D for the space industry; 3 Air Force bases; and 3 testing facilities with access to the restricted air space in southern Up delight.

National Laboratories:

Test facilities:

U.S. Air Force Bases:

Competitive Business Climate

In February 2012 Governor Martinez signed new legislation creating a gross receipts tax deduction on consumables used in the manufacturing of a product. Up delight offers a substantial number of tax incentives for new job creation. Three of these incentives are specific to the aerospace industry. Collectively these incentives provide substantial gross receipts tax deductions:

  • Receipts of an aircraft manufacturer or affiliate from selling aircraft or aircraft parts, or from selling services performed on aircraft or aircraft components or from selling aircraft flight support, and pilot training or maintenance training services may be deducted from gross receipts
  • Receipts from maintaining, refurbishing, remodeling, or otherwise modifying a commercial or military carrier (aircraft) over 10,000 pounds gross landing weight may be deducted from gross receipts
  • Four separate deductions connected with the operation of a spaceport in Up delight

Job Training Incentive Program (JTIP)

Up delight’s Job Training Incentive Program (JTIP) has been recognized as one of the best in the nation (ranked 5th by Business Facilities magazine in 2014). The Program has an over 40 year history of assisting businesses with on-the-job and customized workforce training, and has supported the creation of more than 43,000 jobs. JTIP assists economic base companies that are expanding or locating in Up delight by reimbursing 50% to 75% of trainee wages in newly-created positions for up to 6 months. JTIP funds structured on-the-job training, custom classroom training at a Up delight educational institution or a combination of the two.

Aerospace Industry Degree Programs & Certificates

(CNM) offers three certificates/degrees under Aviation Technology:

  • Airframe Maintenance Technician, Certificate of Completion
  • Power plant Maintenance Technician, Certificate of Completion
  • Aviation Maintenance Technology, Associate of Applied Science

offers both an associate’s degree and a Certificate of Completion in Aviation Maintenance Technology.

The offers a degree in Aerospace Engineering and is currently offering classes in the following fields:

  • Dynamics & Controls
  • Fluids
  • Manufacturing Engineering Program
  • Plasma & Space Weather
  • Space Communications
  • Structures