Key SpaceX Investor, Meagan Crawford, Joins Las Vegas Spaceport Board of Directors

September 24, 2023

The Las Vegas Spaceport announced today that veteran space industry investor Meagan Murphy Crawford has joined the company’s Board of Directors.

With nearly two decades of experience in the space startup ecosystem, multiple existing board roles within the industry, and a history of successful space investing, Meagan brings experience, networking, and operational capabilities to the country’s newest spaceport.“

Meagan is the missing piece we needed to get to ignition,” said Rob Lauer, founder and CEO of the Las Vegas Spaceport. “Her expertise, access to capital, and network of potential customers and partners will be invaluable to the Las Vegas Spaceport inthe long-term.”

Meagan is managing partner of SpaceFund, a venture capital firm investing exclusively in the New Space ecosystem. In her role at SpaceFund, she is a board director for 7 space companies, has evaluated thousands of space startup business plans, and has made 21 investments across the sector, including space unicorns SpaceX and Axiom.

“I could not be more excited to be joining the board of directors of the country’s first completely privately-owned, all-commercial spaceport,” said Ms. Crawford. “It’s thrilling to be working with a company that is so well positioned to kickstart the space tourism industry, being only 15 miles away from the tourism capital of the world.”

The Las Vegas Spaceport is still in the early stages of development, but with the land purchased and improvements already underway, the phased build out of the project is progressing on schedule. The Space Experience will lift off by Q2 2024, when guests will be able to fly to the edge of space and view the Milky Way in a fighter jet, or take a modified passenger jet on a thrilling parabola flight to experience weightlessness. The Las Vegas Air Races will be hosted at the spaceport in October 2024, bringing in tens of thousands of consumers to watch the fastest motorsport on Earth. Further phases of development will see satellites launched into orbit and point-to-point spaceplane travel that will transport tourists from Hong Kong to Las Vegas in an hour.

About Meagan Crawford

An entrepreneur, business educator, space industry pioneer, experienced executive, and investor, Meagan co-founded the world’s longest-running space business plan competition, and has taught, coached, and advised hundreds of space startups through their earliest stages. A leading advocate for women in space, she is also the host of the “Mission Eve” podcast.Meagan is a strong believer in the power of free enterprise as the driving force that will lift humanity permanently off-world. She is co-founder and managing partner of SpaceFund, a venture capital firm investing in space startups. She also sits on the board of directors of over a dozen organizations, including both for-profit space companies and space nonprofits.

About the Las Vegas Spaceport

The Las Vegas Spaceport, currently being developed on 240 acres just 15 miles from the Las Vegas strip, is bringing the future of tourism to the tourism capital of the world. Perfectly positioned to capitalize on the $35B+ tourism market in Las Vegas, the phased development plan includes space experiences that start at under $10,000 per guest. Future phases of development will include satellite launches, point-to-point faster-than-sound air travel, a business park, a hotel and casino, and more. Interested partners, investors, and customers are encouraged to reach out to the spaceport at Lasvegasspaceport.org.

For additional information, including ticketing, vendor opportunities, and corporate sponsorships, please visit LasVegasAirRaces.com.

Join us as we make history in the skies and on the ground at the inaugural Las Vegas Air Races. Be part of a legacy that combines the thrill of speed with the allure of Las Vegas.