List of UP Aerospace launches

UP Aerospace conducted its first launch on 25 September 2006 from Spaceport America in Upham, New Mexico. Since then, numerous other launches, mostly successful, have been conducted from the company's launch complex at Spaceport America.

Launch Date (UTC) Vehicle Payload Launch pad Result Remarks
1 SL-1 September 25, 2006[1] SpaceLoft XL Various UA launch tower Failure The [unsuccessful] maiden launch of a SpaceLoft XL rocket by UP Aerospace. It veered off course and lost control shortly after lift-off.[1]
2 SL-2 April 28, 2007 SpaceLoft XL Celestis and other payloads UA launch tower Success

The first successful launch, a second Spaceloft XL, primarily carried cremated human remains, including those of astronaut Gordon Cooper and Star Trek actor James Doohan.[2]

3 December 19, 2007[3][4] Proprietary test vehicle Technology Demonstration UA launch tower Success Low-altitude atmospheric test flight not intended to reach space. Reached a maximum altitude of 2,500 feet.[3][4]
4 December 2007 [5] Space plane prototype[6] None UA launch tower Success Proprietary technology launch for Lockheed Martin.
5 August 12, 2008 [7] Space plane prototype None UA launch tower Success (Spaceport America & UP Aerospace view)[7] Anomalous (Lockheed-Martin view)[6] Proprietary technology launch for Lockheed Martin.
6 SL-3 May 2, 2009 [8] SpaceLoft XL New Mexico student payloads
Celestis Discovery 		UA launch tower Anomalous

"Education opportunity for New Mexico students to design experiments that use the environment of suborbital space to answer scientific and engineering questions".[8] The craft failed to reach space.[9][10]

7 August 4, 2009 [11] Black Watch[12] ground-launched UAV prototype [13] UA launch tower Success Test flight launch for Florida-based Moog-FTS.[11]
8 10 October 2009 [11] "reusable rocket plane"[14] Lockheed proprietary payload UA launch tower Success Test of "proprietary advanced launch technologies" for Lockheed Martin.[11]
9 SL-4 May 4, 2010 SpaceLoft XL Various UA launch tower Success UP Aerospace successfully launched the 4th SpaceLoft Rocket 70 miles into space. The vehicle spent four minutes in the weightlessness of space before landing on the neighboring White Sands Missile Range.
10 SL-5 May 20, 2011 SpaceLoft XL Various UA launch tower Success The vehicle performed a flawless mission reaching a Spaceport America record setting altitude of 73.5 miles (118 km) into space.
11 SL-6 April 5, 2012 SpaceLoft XL Various UA launch tower Success Included first launch of experimental payloads for NASA's Flight Opportunities Program, and Department of Defense experiments.[15]
12 SL-7 June 21, 2013 SpaceLoft XL NASA (Flight Opportunities Program) UA launch tower Success First fully manifested launch for NASA's Flight Opportunities Program. Set new Spaceport America altitude record of 73.9 miles.[15]
13 SL-8 November 12, 2013 SpaceLoft XL NASA (Flight Opportunities Program) UA launch tower Success Second fully manifested launch for NASA's Flight Opportunities Program. Set new Spaceport America altitude of 385,000 feet.[15]
13 SL-9 October 23, 2014 SpaceLoft XL NASA (Flight Opportunities Program) UA launch tower Success Third fully manifested launch for NASA's Flight Opportunities Program. Set new Spaceport America altitude of 408,035 feet 77.25 miles.[15]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 David, Leonard (2007-01-19). "UP Aerospace: Return to Flight in Progress". space.com. Retrieved 2008-07-24.
  2. ↑ "Ashes of Star Trek's Scotty Fly to Space". Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "UP Aerospace launches test flight from spaceport". kob.com. Retrieved 2008-04-05.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Private Firm Launches Test Shot From Spaceport America". space.com. Retrieved 2008-04-05.
  5. ↑ "Lockheed Martin signs agreement with NM Spaceport". New Mexico Business Weekly. 2008-04-15. Retrieved 2008-07-05.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 David, Leonard (2008-08-15). "Space Plane Prototype Suffers Anomaly in Launch Test". Space.com.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Up Aerospace, Lockheed Martin Launch" (Press release). New Mexico Spaceport Authority. 2008-08-13. Retrieved 2008-08-13.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Spaceport America Student Launch Program 2008–2009". New Mexico State University. 2009-03-16. Retrieved 2009-04-21.
  9. ↑ "Officials Praise NM Rocket Launch". KOAT. 2009-05-02. Retrieved 2009-05-02.
  10. ↑ "Rocket falls short of altitude goal at space port". KVIA.com. 2009-05-02. Retrieved 2009-05-02.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 "Lockheed Martin launches test vehicle from NM's Spaceport America". Las Cruces Sun-News. 2009-10-12. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
  12. ↑ Martin, Bob (2009-08-05). "Spaceport launches one, scrubs another". TV news video segment (KRQE channel 13). Retrieved 2009-10-22.
  13. ↑ "Successful Launch From Spaceport America by Up Aerospace, MOOG-FTS" (Press release). Spaceport America. 2009-08-04. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
  14. ↑ David, Leonard (2009-10-15). "Reusable Rocket Plane Soars in Test Flight". space.com. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 "UP Aerospace Inc. - Past Missions". UP Aerospace Inc. Retrieved 23 June 2014.