Travel From Las Vegas To Space Could Soon Be A Reality

Travel from Las Vegas to space? It might be happening sooner than you think!

You can ride the "Big Shot" attraction at the Strat, which is more than 1,100 feet above the ground, and shoots you another 160 feet into the air. You can biplane at a number of places in Las Vegas, you can do outdoor - and indoor - repelling. But what about SPACE?

If a local businessman has his way, a new spaceport could be built about an hour west of LasVegas. Rob Lauer has plans to have an entire spaceport complex on almost 250 acres of land on the western edge of Clark County, about a 15-minute drive from Pahrump.

Lauer told KTNV, channel 13, Las Vegas, "In three-to-five years, we expect to have rockets launching from here, literally,"

It wouldn't be the first spaceport in the U.S. There are over a dozen of them already, in 10 different states, according to the FAA. Technology is advancing at a rapid pace when it comes to space travel and Lauer believe it might someday be available to the masses.

Space planes are point-to-point hypersonic vehicles, and they are actually being built right now by companies like Boeing and Airbus. A Hypersonic Vehicle is a vehicle that travels 4 times faster than the speed-of-sound, or greater than Mach 4. A hypersonic vehicle can be an airplane, missile, or spacecraft.

Meetings have taken place at Nellis Air Force Base to discuss plans. Lauer has gotten a good response from some Clark County officials, but he will have to raise a lot of money — around $300 million — to make his plan a reality.

If and when it's done, customers could travel from rural Clark County to space, and back, for about $30,000 dollars - which he thinks could come down drastically over time.

Could it become normal transportation? Heck, at one time people thought the concept of going on a plane years ago sounded crazy. The Mike and Carla Morning Show recently talked about flying cars being built as we speak. so it's not that "out there."

The technology for this, for the most part, already exists, but a lot of steps are still to be taken before the spaceport would begin building - but Lauer is optimistic it will happen.

Honestly -  what's more Las Vegas than dreaming big and literally reaching for the stars? After all, that's kind of what the city was built on!

The long-awaited, and very expensive,  MSG Sphere debuted in Las Vegas with a "dazzling display" for Independence Day.

Will those living near it ever get a good night's sleep again?

The Sphere stands 366 feet tall, 516 feet across, and its Exosphere (the name for its exterior display) features 580,000 square feet of fully-programmable LED lights. MSG Entertainment said it's the largest LED screen on earth, and the Sphere itself, according to them, is the largest spherical structure on the planet.

Tony Caporale told News 3, he lives in the Elysian at Hughes Center Apartments. He said, "I guess I'll put some good curtains up. We have blinds, but you're gonna need some curtains with the Sphere."  He said he specifically moved into the apartments so he can face the Strip and Sphere.

He has a great view, and says the view it "pretty sick."  But, he said he couldn't fathom how guests at the Encore could sleep with it. Regardless, he's excited.

"It's the most incredible thing ever built in the world," said Caporale. But when asked if the price tag of over $2 billion was worth it, he didn't care. "Who knows? That's their problem. I'll look at it every night."

Another resident who just moved into the same complex said he didn't actually look at his unit before moving in. He faces the Sphere. He had just seen a floor plan online. He says he's an early riser, but he's going to put blackout curtains in his bedroom. He says the bright lights might get old after a while. "but hey, one year lease isn't too bad."

Tick Segerblom is the Clark County Commissioner for District E, where the Sphere is being built. He said he hasn't received any specific complaints about the site as of yet, but wouldn't be surprised if he did. "This is Las Vegas," said Segerblom. "You want to live in the most exciting place in the world, you have to expect a little bit of excitement."

There is talk that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) may use the Sphere as a navigation beacon for pilots because of its brightness. When reached for comment, the FAA said it does not have plans to do so, but it's not unusual for controllers to refer to easily identifiable buildings or landmarks when issuing instructions for visual flights.

There will also be plenty of hotel guests with views overlooking the Sphere at the Venetian, Palazzo, and other resorts. Front desks, get ready for a lot of "I want a view of the Sphere" calls. And hotels, get ready to order more black out curtains. It's going to be very bright, and very cool -  for a few minutes.

Due to the high construction costs for the Sphere, expect the lights to run continuously, in order to generate millions of dollars in advertising revenue from the amazing ball.

One of the best live acts in the world, U2, will begin a ground-breaking residency in the fall. It will embrace the latest in technology and innovation that The Sphere has to offer.

The Sphere lights up Las Vegas for its debut on the fourth of July

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The Sphere showing off the red, white and blue!

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Yes - that is a basketball. All LED lights, introducing the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas

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I spy with my little (HUGE) eye...

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Happy early Halloween from The Sphere!

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A 366 foot X 516 foot snow globe

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The whole world in Las Vegas' hands!

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