Mojave Air and Space Port

Mojave Air and Space Port, located in the Mojave Desert in Kern County, California at approximately 2,800 feet elevation, holds the historic distinction of being the world's first FAA-licensed spaceport for horizontal launch (licensed in June 2004) — and has served for decades as the preeminent hub for experimental aircraft development, private spacecraft design, and aerospace technology testing in the United States.

Mojave's history as an aerospace center predates commercial space: the California Air National Guard operated the airfield during World War II, and in the post-war era it became a testing and storage facility before emerging as the base for Mojave's legendary experimental aircraft community. The combination of clear desert weather, unrestricted airspace, long runways (13,000-foot runway), and proximity to Edwards Air Force Base (40 miles east) attracted innovative aircraft designers and test organizations who required an environment conducive to experimental flight test.

Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites — the company responsible for the White Knight carrier aircraft and SpaceShipOne, which won the Ansari X Prize in October 2004 as the first private spacecraft to reach space twice within two weeks — is headquartered at Mojave, and the first private crewed spaceflight departed from Mojave's runway. This achievement directly led to Mojave's FAA horizontal launch license and established its commercial space identity. Scaled Composites remains at Mojave developing successors and continues experimental aircraft work.

Stratolaunch Systems operates the world's largest aircraft by wingspan (the Stratolaunch carrier aircraft with 385-foot wingspan) from Mojave, using it to test and eventually air-launch the Talon-A hypersonic test vehicle. Rocket engine test facilities (Virgin Orbit, Masten Space Systems during operations) and multiple smaller aerospace startups have tested hardware at Mojave. The spaceport also serves as a maintenance, repair, and storage facility for commercial airliners taking advantage of the dry desert climate.