14 DAY TRIAL // Saturday, October 10, the private companies Lockheed Martian and UP Aerospace launched for the first time a new vehicle from Spaceport America. The announcement was made by officials at the New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA), who added that the event was private and non-publicized at the request of Lockheed Martin. The company was, apparently, testing some proprietary, advanced launch technologies, which it did not want others to know about, Space Fellowship reports.
“Saturday’s launch successfully lifted off at 9:45 am during our four-hour launch window. This is our third launch for Lockheed Martin from Spaceport America, which is proving to be an ideal location for supplying low-cost, fast-turnaround launch operations,” Jerry Larson, the president of UP Aerospace, said. Over recent years, demand for the company's services has been constantly increasing, so UP plans to double its launches for private customers from Spaceport America to six or more in 2010.
In New Mexico, Spaceport America is the first purpose-built, commercial spaceport in the world, and UP is one of the main operators conducting tests at the facility. “We are extremely pleased to host another launch by UP Aerospace, the third this year, which continues to set the precedent for safe, practical commercial spaceflight at Spaceport America,” Steve Landeene, NASA executive director, said of the new success. UP has been launching test vehicles for Lockheed Martin since 2007.
Other companies involved in SPA include Virgin Galactic, Moog-FTS, and Armadillo Aerospace. These are the leading firms in private space-flying, and all promise to make journeys to the upper reaches of the atmosphere a possibility within a few years. Virgin Galactic already has two ships that it operates for tourists, and it is soon scheduled to begin commercial flights. A 10,000-foot-long runway is currently under construction at the Spaceport, where a futuristic-looking building is also being erected. The air strip is scheduled for completion in 2010.