Up Aerospace Information
UP Aerospace, Inc. is a private spaceflight corporation based out of Denver, Colorado. UP Aerospace intends to provide ultra-low cost space access and payload transportation for corporate, military and educational payloads, via their SpaceLoft and SpaceLoft XL Sounding rocket launch vehicles. The cost of each rocket launch is $300,000US.[1]
History and Future Plans
Further information: UP Aerospace Launch HistoryThe first launch of the SpaceLoft XL occurred on September 25, 2006 from Spaceport America in Upham, New Mexico. The vehicle failed to go higher than 40,000 ft due to a malfunction attributed to faulty fin design and unexpected aerodynamic effects.[citation needed]
UP Aerospace vertical launch site at Spaceport AmericaUP Aerospace has conducted eight launches from Spaceport America during 2006-2009, including three in 2009[2] They plan to "double the number of customer launches from Spaceport America to six or more in 2010 as demand for the company's services increases."[3]
SL-2 flight
On April 28, 2007, some of the cremated remains of actor James Doohan, who played Chief Engineer Scott on the 1960s television series Star Trek, and from astronaut Gordon Cooper, were rocketed into suborbital space (along with ashes of about 200 other people) by UP Aerospace from Spaceport America. This was the first successful launch from the site.[4] The payload container was recovered 18 May 2007.[5]
As of August 2007, UP Aerospace began offering low-cost launches to youth and students through the Space Generation Advisory Council. Under this arrangement members of the Space Generation can send their own experiments or novelty payloads into space for as low as US$2000 per experiment. From 2008, the Space Generation Advisory Council will host a range of competitions for youth to address specific technical or logistical challenges through the design of their own UP Aerospace TinySat module.[citation needed]
In April 2008, UP Aerospace was hired by the large US aerospace company Lockheed Martin to provide launch services at Spaceport America for a test rocket program. Lockheed Martin stated that they are trying to create a lower-cost-to-orbit cargo service, using a winged vehicle launched atop a land-based rocket. UP Aerospace and the New Mexico location were chosen to aid in testing prototype systems. UP Aerospace was chosen, particularly, because of their experience launching rockets at Spaceport America.[6]
References
- ^ PROFILE: Want to shoot a payload into space? Perez is your man, Las Cruces Sun-News, 2010-10-18, accessed 2010-10-19.
- ^ "Lockheed Martin launches test vehicle from NM's Spaceport America". Las Cruces Sun-News. 2009-10-12. http://www.lcsun-news.com/ci_13545561. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
- ^ Spaceport America (2009-10-12). "UP AEROSPACE, LOCKHEED MARTIN Launch from Spaceport America". Press release. http://www.spaceportamerica.com/news/press-releases/264-up-areospace-lockheed-martin-launch-from-spaceport-america.html. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
- ^ Roger Fillion (2006). "Colorado rocket crashes". Rocky Mountain News. http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/tech/article/0,2777,DRMN_23910_5020731,00.html. Retrieved 2009-01-15.
- ^ Leonard David (2007). "Private Rocket's Cargo Found: Ashes of Star Trek's 'Scotty,' Others Recovered". SPACE.com. http://www.space.com/news/070518_upaerospace_ashesfound.html. Retrieved 2009-01-15.
- ^ Bob Martin; Bill Diven (2008). "Spaceport launch tests future spacecraft". KRQE. http://www.cbssouthwest.com/global/story.asp?s=8173339&ClientType=Printable. Retrieved 2009-01-15.
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Categories: Private spaceflight companies | Farmington, Connecticut | Companies established in 2005 |
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