SYSTEMS: Say what you like about the validity of sub-orbital space travel peddled by the likes of Virgin Galactic as a genuine "tourism" product, such a move is generating a by-product elsewhere which is pure tourism. As construction of the Virgin launch site continues, a town has found itself at the sharp end of it all. Read more on CNN.
The town of Truth or Consequences in the desert of New Mexico, US, is tiny. Not where you might expect to find a spaceopolis.
The population barely reaches 7,000, and the smattering of tourists it attracts throughout the year are undoubtedly lured by its rustic, small-town charm.
Its handful of attractions include some vintage hot spring resorts (pre-World War II, the town was a hotspot for wellness tourism), some nearby ghost towns and roaming buffalo.
That is set to change in the next couple of years however, as the town is on the brink of becoming the epicenter for space tourism.
Read more on CNN