UP Aerospace Spaceloft XL rocket
By Douglas Messier
Parabolic Arc Managing Editor
Spaceport America will host suborbital launches by Armadillo Aerospace and UP Aerospace, each of which will mark a “first” for the desert launch base. New Mexico Spaceport Authority Executive Director Christine Anderson outlined the missions in a PowerPoint presentation to the NMSA board on Monday.
In early October, Armadillo will launch a STIG-B rocket from Spaceport America. The booster, which is set to exceed the 100-kilometer (62.5-mile) boundary of space, will be the first launch ever licensed by Federal Aviation Administration at Spaceport America.
STIG-B is a larger, higher-performance variant of Armadillo’s STIG-A rocket.
On Oct. 23, UP Aerospace will launch a SpaceLoft suborbital rocket that will primarily carry NASA-sponsored payloads. New Mexico students will supply additional experiments.
It will be the first mission sponsored under NASA’s Flight Opportunities Program to reach space, according to the presentation.
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