Susan Montoya Bryan

Associated Press

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson, left, receives a Virgin Galactic made astronaut wings pin from Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield after his flight to space from Spaceport America near Truth or Consequences, N.M., Sunday, July 11, 2021.

Branson Reaches Space in His Own Ship

Branson and five crewmates reached an altitude of 53.5 miles.

Intel's Rio Rancho, NM plant (above). The giant chipmaker is expected to unveil details this week that could determine the future of the company's facility north of Albuquerque.

Intel Invests $3.5B in Microchip Plant

The company said the expansion would fuel "a new era of innovation."

Virgin Galactic unveiled the VSS Imagine on Tuesday, March 30, 2020.

Virgin Galactic Rolls Out New Spaceship

And it has a mirror-like finish.

This undated file aerial view shows the Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, N.M. Several groups are asking state and federal officials to hold semi-annual public meetings as Los Alamos National Laboratory prepares to resume and ramp up production of key components for the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile.

US Nuclear Lab Investigates Plutonium Facility Breach

Los Alamos confirmed that 15 workers may have been exposed to plutonium.

This Nov. 9, 2009, file photo, shows the coal-fired San Juan Generating Station near Farmington, N.M.

Solar Leads Options for Replacing N.M. Power Plant

Part of the consideration is where any new solar farms, gas-fired plants or battery systems would be located.

In this April 2019 file photo provided by Los Alamos National Laboratory, barrels of radioactive waste are loaded for transport to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) at the Radioactive Assay Nondestructive Testing (RANT) facility in Los Alamos, N.M.

US Nuclear Waste Cleanup Takes Back Seat

Operations are all but grinding to a halt.

This photo provided by Virgin Galactic shows the Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity flying over Spaceport America in Truth or Consequences, NM on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020.

Virgin Spaceship Arrives at New Home

The move marks a significant milestone toward commercial flights, which the company anticipates this year.

Sandia National Laboratories Associate Director of Mission Services Scott Aeilts answers reporters questions following a news conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020. Aeilts said Sandia plans to expand its efforts to work with businesses in southern New Mexico.

Sandia Director Says Innovation Key for Peace

It's critical for the U.S. to find ways to stay ahead in the 'race for innovation.'

In this Aug. 15, 2019 file photo, Virgin Galactic ground crew guide the company's carrier plane into the hangar at Spaceport America following a test flight over the desert near Upham, New Mexico. Virgin Galactic is on the verge of making more history in 2020 following an 'incredible' year of progress, the chief executive of billionaire Richard Branson's space tourism venture said Thursday.

Virgin Galactic's 'Incredible' Year of Progress

More than 600 space tourists from 60 countries have put down deposits for flights.

I Stock 962503444

Holtec Aims to Build Nuclear Waste Facility

New Jersey-based Moltec is pushing for approval to build a multibillion-dollar facility for temporary storing spent nuclear fuel.

In this Oct. 17, 2011 file photo, guests stand outside the new Spaceport America hangar in Upham, N.M. Virgin Galactic is scheduled to unveil the interior of its digs at Spaceport America, providing the first glimpse of mission control, a prep area for pilots and where paying customers will lounge ahead of their suborbital flights. Company officials are gathering Thursday, Aug. 15, 2019, at the remote facility in the New Mexico desert to show off two levels of the custom-tailored hangar at the taxpayer-financed spaceport.

Virgin Galactic Unveils Mission Control

The once-empty hangar is no longer just a shiny shell of hope.

This July 16, 1945, file photo, shows the mushroom cloud of the first atomic explosion at Trinity Test Site near Alamagordo, N.M. A compensation program for those exposed to radiation from years of nuclear weapons testing and uranium mining would be expanded under legislation that seeks to address fallout across the western United States, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Lawmaker: Expand Comp for Radiation

Tens of thousands of people — from miners and truck drivers to those living in communities near test sites — were exposed to radiation.