For a West Texas town of about 2,000 residents, the international publicity is priceless.
It seemed the entire world was talking about Van Horn Tuesday morning, as Blue Origin successfully completed the first human flight of its New Shepard spacecraft.
Van Horn, located in Culberson County, about 115 miles southeast of El Paso, has long been considered a pitstop for gasoline and snacks along Interstate 10. But with Blue Origin ramping up operations in the nearby desert, the town hopes to capitalize on the attention generated by its neighbor.
Bloomberg Correspondent Ed Ludlow watched Tuesday's launch from Van Horn. He told KRLD the town has been slow to see the benefits from its proximity to the Blue Origin facility. However, local officials believe "space tourism" could bring greater benefits, and growth, to the community.
Ludlow spoke with KRLD's Chris Sommer.
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