UP Aerospace Corp., based in Denver, Colo., successfully launched its SpaceLoft-7 rocket from Spaceport America in southern New Mexico at 7:57 a.m. (MT) Friday morning.
“It was a perfect flight,” says UP Aersopace President and CEO, Jerry Larson. “We hit a new altitude record, and it came back down right in the target area at White Sands Missile Range. We went straight to it in an Army helicopter, recovered the payloads and gave them back to the payload customers right there on the spot. This mission was a complete success where all systems performed perfectly.”
The SpaceLoft rocket lifted off on a suborbital mission carrying six payloads for NASA’s Flight Opportunities Program. The six payloads represent experiments to develop and advance future technologies. Additionally, New Mexico Space Grant Consortium flew educational experiments representing students from high school through universities. Also on board were Celestis Memorial Spaceflight Capsules, launching a symbolic portion of cremated remains of 36 individuals on a final mission into space.
The execution of this mission is part of the contract awarded to UP Aerospace by NASA in 2011, to provide low cost commercial launch services to NASA. This mission marks the first fully manifested flight for NASA and the first space flight for the Flight Opportunities Program.
The next launch for UP Aerospace is SpaceLoft 8, for NASA, scheduled for Oct. 9, 2013. Larson says the company is already working the payload integration for this mission.
Paul De Leon, Campaign Manager for NASA’s Flight Opportunities Program, states, “It has been great to work with the UP Aerospace team. UP has proven to be a reliable space launch aerospace company. I look forward to many more successful suborbital launches providing the right environment for our payloads."