UP Aerospace’s SpaceLoft-XL 18 rocket lifts off from Spaceport America in the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 19. Photo by William Gutman

SPACEPORT News:

LAS CRUCES — UP Aerospace completed its 23rd suborbital space flight at Spaceport America, carrying a Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) payload to an apogee of roughly 72 miles, at 7 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 19.

“We extend our congratulations to UP Aerospace on its latest successful launch from New Mexico,” said Scott McLaughlin, Executive Director of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority. “Our two organizations have a history dating back almost two decades, and we value UP’s continued commitment to Spaceport America.”

LANL’s collaboration with UP Aerospace and Spaceport America, along with the U.S. Army’s White Sands Missile Range, enabled the federally funded R&D center to conduct space-related tests locally, resulting in increasingly efficient timelines and costs. Additional payload collaborators on the flight include NASA Ames Research Center and Redwire Space.

“New Mexico is investing in and expanding its space industry, and it’s encouraging to see multiple organizations from our state and beyond collaborating on initiatives like these,” McLaughlin continued. “We have seen increasing economic impact from the state-built spaceport, and launches like these are important to our local partners as well.”

Long-term customer UP Aerospace maintains a launch complex and payload processing center at the spaceport. Its SpaceLoft-XL 18 rocket served as the transportation method for Wednesday’s mission, and nearly 200 people gathered at Spaceport America to witness the launch.

“Partnering with private local businesses is essential to this specific process,” LANL expressed in a statement. “Such partnerships streamline research processes, reinforce ties with local businesses, and build the strength and infrastructure of the local economy for years to come.”