The state of Wyoming is known for many things beyond its measly population. Fantastic sights at Yellowstone and our Cowboy Culture are known throughout the nation. But what many people don’t know about Wyoming is that we have the nation’s first – and only – intergalactic spaceport. A quick Google Maps search for the “Greater Green River Intergalactic Spaceport” will show the site, located just south of I-80.
But how did this spaceport come to be? And why haven’t we seen Wyoming’s first state astronauts launched from it? The answer can be traced back to the arrival of a comet, Shoemaker Levy-9. It was nowhere near Earth and posed little threat to the inhabitants of our planet. But unfortunately, the same could not be said for Jupiter, which lay directly in the path of the comet.
What made Shoemaker-Levy 9 truly unforgettable, however, was its dramatic demise. The comet fragmented into 21 pieces due to tidal forces during a close pass to Jupiter in 1992, making for a particularly spectacular sight for amateur astronomers when it came back onto a collision course with the planet. Many people anticipated the impact with excitement, as this was the first time that we’d been able to observe the effects of the impact of a comet on another planetary body other than our own, and it marked a notable scientific opportunity.
When the fragments slammed into Jupiter’s atmosphere in July 1994, the impacts released energy equivalent to millions of nuclear bombs. The collisions created enormous fireballs, some larger than the entire Earth, leaving dark spots on Jupiter’s surface that were visible for weeks. For amateur and expert astronomers alike, it was an unprecedented opportunity to study planetary impacts, and for the public, it was a very interesting astronomical event to observe.
The people of Green River Wyoming, however, saw this horrific impact as a potential refugee crisis waiting to happen. They noted how often this must happen in the cosmos, and in a bid to remain hospitable to those affected by such tragedies throughout the universe, the mayor, George Eckman, renamed their local airstrip to the “Greater Green River Intergalactic Spaceport,” welcoming all.
Though the spaceport remains a bit of a light-hearted nod to intergalactic goodwill rather than a functioning launch site, its origins are tied to this incredibly interesting astronomical event in our own solar system’s history. It’s also a testament to Wyoming’s unique brand of humor. To this day, the intergalactic spaceport serves as a local landmark, attracting visitors intrigued by its quirky story and the Jovian impact event that inspired it.
