The technical team had a very busy June. Activities were focused primarily on the UP Aerospace’s SL-7 launch and preparations leading up to it. The launch took place on June 21 at 7:57 AM, and was nearly flawless. It had been scheduled for 7:00 AM, but an unusual June rain shower briefly dampened the ground, if not the spirits, of the launch crew and guests. The SpaceLoft XL rocket reached an altitude just short of 74 miles, a new record for UP Aerospace and for Spaceport America. It was the first SpaceLoft XL to be equipped with a de-spin system. SpaceLoft XL rockets, like most solid fuel research rockets, are spin-stabilized. The peak rotational speed is seven revolutions per second. If the rocket continues to spin at such a high rate, the microgravity environment for the payloads is severely degraded. Once the vehicle was outside the atmosphere, the de-spin system deployed weights attached to the vehicle by cables to rapidly reduce the spin rate to near zero in the same manner that a figure skater extends her arms to reduce her spin rate.
The launch was sponsored by the NASA Flight Opportunities Program, and was the first under that program to actually reach space. It carried a variety of payloads developed by NASA; the US Air Force Operationally Responsive Space Office; the Federal Aviation Administration; and private companies. It also carried several student payloads through an arrangement with the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium. The FAA payload performed an operational test in the space environment of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system hardware. ADS-B is an essential part of the FAA’s next generation air traffic management system, and it will play a key role in integration of commercial space operations into the National Airspace System. The NASA payload performed a detailed characterization of the flight environment, which will be useful for planning future missions. Celestis, Inc. was among the private sector payload sponsors. Their payload contained 34 capsules of human cremated remains.
