Virgin spaceship gets new runway

The world’s first commercial passenger spaceship moved a step closer to deployment as a new runway at a remote New Mexico spaceport was unveiled.

SpaceShipTwo, which could carry paying customers into suborbital space by early 2012, had its maiden flight in the California desert in March.

Virgin Galactic, which aims to become the world’s first company to promote space tourism, has already collected $45 million in deposits from more than 340 people who have reserved seats aboard the six-person craft.