Keep the shuttle flying: Fwd: SPACEPORT AMERICA’S 3rd NASA LAUNCH

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From: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Date: October 24, 2014 11:53:10 AM EDT
To: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Subject: FW: SPACEPORT AMERICA'S 3rd NASA LAUNCH

SL-9 ROCKET FLIGHT BECOMES SPACEPORT AMERICA'S 3rd NASA LAUNCH
October 23, 2014 by spaceportpr
Spaceport America, NM – New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) officials announced the launch today of the third NASA "Flight Opportunities Program" rocket from Spaceport America. The launch of SpaceLoft™ XL 9 (SL-9), which was designed to reach sub-orbital space, took place this morning from Spaceport America's Launch Complex-1. Today's liftoff marks the 21^st launch at Spaceport America and the 13th flight conducted by UP Aerospace, the spaceport's oldest launch customer. NASA successfully launched two similar research rockets from the spaceport last year.
The successful launch of NASA's SL-9 commercial-space, research-payload rocket took place at 7:33 AM (MDT), which was within the dedicated 2-hour launch window, and flight data indicate the rocket attained a maximum altitude of approximately 124 km or 77 miles, beating the old Spaceport America alitude record by 4 miles. The parachute recovery system brought the SpaceLoft™ rocket and its payload safely back and it was recovered intact 40 km or 25 miles downrange on White Sands Missile Range as planned.
"It's great to see NASA return to Spaceport America for another successful 'Flight Opportunities' sub-orbital launch mission today," said NMSA Executive Director Christine Anderson. "We also want to congratulate UP Aerospace, who has been launching with us for eight years."
The SL-9 sub-orbital sounding rocket, provided by UP Aerospace, is part of the NASA "Flight Opportunities Program," which is designed to provide sub-orbital payload launch resources for NASA, educational institutions and the private sector. Some of the "Flight Opportunities" payload customers for this launch include: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Controlled Dynamics, Barcelona Tec: NASA test payload, Montana State University: NASA test payload, Celestis, Inc. and the Ninkasi Brewing Company.
Today's SL-9 mission was originally scheduled to liftoff from Spaceport America on Monday, October 20^th but was rescheduled due to poor weather conditions.
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ABOUT NASA "FLIGHT OPPORTUNITIES" PROGRAM:
https://flightopportunities.nasa.gov/
NASA Contact: Leslie Williams
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center
661-810-4977
leslie.a.williams@nasa.gov

ABOUT UP AEROSPACE, INC.
UP Aerospace was created in 1998 by founder Jerry Larson and incorporated in 2004 with its headquarters located in Denver, Colorado. UP Aerospace has been successfully conducting launches from Spaceport America in New Mexico since 2006. With this launch, the company has conducted a total of 13 launch campaigns from the spaceport, of which eight were SpaceLoft launch vehicles and four additional launches of proprietary systems for Lockheed Martin and MOOG. UP Aerospace's launch operations and SpaceLoft vehicles are designed and built from the ground up as a highly reliable, low-cost Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) system. Flight hardware reusability has been a key program requirement for the SpaceLoft launch program, enabling further advancements in low-cost space launch operations. UP Aerospace has successfully demonstrated and refined launch and integration services spanning over seven years and over 50 individual payload customers.
For more information: www.upaerospace.com
Press contact: Tracey Larson – Customer and Public Relations  publicrelations@up-aerospace.biz

ABOUT SPACEPORT AMERICA
Spaceport America is the first purpose-built commercial spaceport in the world. The launch complex, situated on 18,000 acres adjacent to the U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico, has been providing commercial vertical launch services since 2006. Spaceport America has hosted 21 vertical launches thus far. The New Mexico Spaceport Authority continues to work closely with its tenants, Virgin Galactic and SpaceX, and its other flight customers in support of the commercial space industry.

For more information, please visit: www.spaceportamerica.com
Images and HD video of Spaceport America can be found by visiting:
www.spaceportamerica.com/press-center/
Tours are available of Spaceport America:
www.spaceportamerica.com/plan-a-visit/preview-tours/

Press Release PDF

© 2014 Copyright by Spaceport America. All rights reserved.

Spaceport America rocket launch deemed a success
Flight tops company's previous altitude record
By Diana Alba Soular
dalba@lcsun-news.com @AlbaSoular on Twitter
Posted: 10/23/2014 01:22:30 PM MDT

Thursday's launch to suborbital space, seen here, was UP Aerospace's 13th from the state-owned Spaceport America in southern Sierra County. Nine of those, including Thursday's launch, were of the company's SpaceLoft XL rocket. (Courtesy photo)

LAS CRUCES >> A rocket launch to suborbital space from Spaceport America on Thursday morning was deemed a success.
The flight of the 20-foot-long rocket reached a new altitude record for the launch company, the Denver-based UP Aerospace, said company spokeswoman Tracey Larson. That may have been because the payloads were lighter than in past launches.
"We set a record of 77.4 miles," she said. "Previously the record was 74."
About noon, the rocket — which parachuted back to earth and landed at White Sands Missile Range — was transported back to Spaceport America. Payloads were being returned to the UP Aerospace customers, Larson said.
UP Aerospace officials said they were seeking not only for the rocket to fly right but for four scientific experiments on board — part of NASA's Flight Opportunities Program — to be carried out without a hitch.
"The launch was successful both in-flight and also with regards to the payloads," Larson said.
The aim of the NASA program is to test new technologies that are expected to be useful in spaceflight and space exploration.
The flight was the 21st launch from Spaceport America, according to the New Mexico Spaceport Authority, which manages the spaceport.
"It's great to see NASA return to Spaceport America for another successful 'Flight Opportunities' suborbital launch mission," said NMSA Executive Director Christine Anderson in a statement.
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In addition to experiments, cremated remains of about 30 people were carried as part of a memorial flight through the company Celestis Inc.
Among the cremains rocketed to space were those of CJ Twomey, a late serviceman whose family is carrying out a unique social media campaign to have his ashes spread across the globe.
Twomey, who served in the Air Force, died by suicide in 2010 at age 20, said his mother, Hallie Twomey of Auburn, Maine. In coping with the painful tragedy, Hallie Twomey said the family had the idea to memorialize her son by asking family and close friends to take small amounts of his cremains and leave them in different places they traveled to. That turned into a Facebook page, which soon began gathering interest from strangers. In about one year, thousands of people have stepped forward, taking CJ's remains to places on all seven continents, she said.
Celestis Inc. contacted the family, offering to send some of CJ's remains on the Spaceport America flight, Hallie Twomey said. She said she didn't even realize that was possible before getting the email from the company.
"It's been pretty remarkable watching this process and being able to know that, as much as we wanted his ashes to go all over the world, we never imagined they could reach space," she said.
Twomey watched video feed of the launch Thursday.
"It literally brought tears to my eyes," she said.
The liftoff happened shortly after 7:30 a.m., according to Celestis Inc.
"Celestis will return the flown capsules with the cremated remains inside to family members and loved ones, providing them with a flown keepsake," that company said in a news release.
A different payload included yeast that will be used by an Oregon brewery to make so-called space beer.
The launch was UP Aerospace's 13th from the state-owned Spaceport America. Nine of those, including Thursday's launch, were of the company's SpaceLoft XL rocket.
The spaceport is a $219 million launch site for suborbital space vehicles that's located in southeastern Sierra County, just north of Doña Ana County.
For information about CJ Twomey, visit: www.facebook.com/scatteringcj .
Diana Alba Soular may be reached at 575-541-5443.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mJJAMYLunuo
Video courtesy Celestis Inc.

Copyright © 2014 Las Cruces Sun-News. All rights reserved.

Maine man's ashes launched into space at spaceport
By The Associated Press
10/23/2014 09:16:18 AM MDT

An urn containing the ashes of C.J. Twomey sits on a shelf at his parents' home in Auburn, Maine. C.J. committed suicide three and a half years earlier. On Thursday, a rocket containing a vial of C.J.'s ashes was launched from the New Mexican desert into space before landing in the White Sands Missile Range. His ashes had previously been released in nearly all 50 states and dozens of places overseas. (AP photo)

AUBURN, MAINE >> A Maine mother who's using social media to have her son's ashes scattered all over the world has sent him on his greatest journey yet: to space.
Using her Facebook page, which has more than 17,000 likes, Hallie Twomey has mailed hundreds of packets of her son C.J.'s ashes to strangers worldwide so they can be scattered at the many places he wasn't able to see before he died more than four years ago.
On Thursday, a rocket containing a vial of his ashes was launched into space from the spaceport, north of Truth or Consequences. The rocket spent a few minutes in space before landing in the nearby White Sands Missile Range.
Twomey called it the perfect send off for her adrenaline-loving son, who was 20 years old when he shot himself after getting into an argument with his parents.
His ashes have been scattered in nearly all 50 states and in dozens of places overseas, including Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Denmark.
Twomey, who lives with her husband and 21-year-old son in Auburn, Maine, said that while she hasn't been able to get over her guilt, she has been touched by the kindness of strangers over the last year.
"I have never experienced such a collective sort of hug," she said. "I feel less alone, and for me that has been huge."
Twomey's ashes and those of about three dozen others were on the rocket. The roughly $1,000 to launch his ashes was paid by for by Celestis, the company that has completed 13 such memorial spaceflights.

Copyright © 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.