New Mexico's 2019 Space News Archives
New Mexico Space News 2019 Archives
December 22: Boeing's Starliner landed successfully at White Sands Space Harbor after a less-than-successful attempt at its first (unoccupied) visit to the ISS.
November 27: UP Aerospace successfully launched a Space Loft 14 (SL-14) at Spaceport America. The launch vehicle reached an altitude of 57 miles. The flight, which carried multiple experimental payloads, was the company's thirteenth launch from the New Mexico spaceport.
November 4: A pad abort test of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft at White Sands Missile Range was successful, despite one of the three parachutes failing to open.
October 26: The fourth test launch of Exos Aerospace's SARGE rocket at Spaceport America failed. It reached an altitude of 8 miles, far short of the planned 50 miles. Exos CEO John Quinn said, "This is rocket science. We'll fix it and we will be going again."
October 7-8: NASA's iTech Forum holds its semi-annual meeting in Las Cruces to hear ten finalists' proposals for developing cutting-edge technologies applicable to space missions. One finalist, H-Trap One founder Luis Morales, is developing a product that can be used to store hydrogen.
September 19: NASA and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute tested a new instrument in a high-altitude balloon flight (up to 22 miles) over New Mexico. Launched from NASA's Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Fort Sumner, the balloon landed near Farmington. The instrument measured the density of the sun's corona along with the temperature and speed of electrons in the solar wind. The instrument is being developed to use on a future spaceflight.
September 17: Construction of Virgin Galactic's next spaceshiptwo progressed with the attachment of the wings to the cabin and fuselage.
August 13: Virgin Galactic's carrier aircraft arrived at Spaceport America, its new home.
August 7: Virgin Galactic announced it will relocate its carrier aircraft (aka "mothership"), VMS Eve, to its new home at Spaceport America. The company will also give the public its first view of the interior of its terminal/hangar facility at the spaceport.
June 18-22: The third annual Spaceport America Cup competition attracted more than 120 teams from 14 countries. More than 90 rockets were launched, including liquid, solid, and hybrid fueled models. Most of them reached their intended altitudes, which were specified by different levels of competition.
June 19: The US Department of Defense awarded a responsive launch prototype contract to SpinLaunch, a small satellite launch service that is developing a kinetic energy-based launch system. SpinLaunch is currently building a $7 million test facility at Spaceport America.
May 30 & 31: A team of 40 undergraduate students collaborated online, video conference, and phone conversations to build two rockets without any university support or funding, or guidance from a professor. They financed the project soliciting donations. Their first launch at Spaceport America on Friday reached an altitude of 100,000 feet. The following day, the second launch reached an altitude of over 52,000 feet.
May 21: The University of Southern California announced that more than 80 undergraduates contributed to the team's April 21 successful rocket launch on April 21 at Spaceport America. Subsequent analysis showed that the launch was the first by a student team to reach the 62-mile (100 km) altitude recognized by many as the edge of space. The USC rocket reached an altitude of 64.4 miles and reached a top speed of 3,386 miles per hour.
May 10: Virgin Galactic announced it is moving 100 employees and their families to New Mexico by the end of the summer, along with their mothership and spaceship. Final test flights will be conducted at Spaceport America before beginning commercial flights.
May 3: SpinLaunch announced it will break ground on May 7 on a new facility at Spaceport America. At least 20 people will work in the new facility. SpinLaunch is developing a new technology for a low-cost launch service for small satellites.
April 13: The most recent launch from Spaceport America was a rocket developed jointly by students at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Rocket Team and the Las Cruces company White Sands Research and Developers. The rocket reached an altitude of 23,500 feet and a speed of Mach 1.2.
March 11: The University of New Mexico is one of nine institutions chosen by NASA to examine pristine Moon samples returned by Apollo astronauts. These samples have been vacuum-sealed and frozen (Apollo 17) or stored in helium (Apollo 15) since 1972 and 1971, respectively.
March 2: Exos Aerospace launched a Sarge rocket from Spaceport America. It was the first time it launched a rocket that had flown before. This suborbital flight carried six research payloads.
February 22: On it fifth powered test flight, SpaceShipTwo Unity reached an altitude of 56.25 miles with three people aboard. Top speed was Mach 3.04.
January 24: Richard Branson announced that only a short series of flight tests of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo remain before the company begins commercial flights. He expects to be aboard the inaugural flight around midyear 2019.
January 24: Virgin Galactic selected Under Armour to design the uniforms for its employees and customers at Spaceport America.
January 14: SpinLaunch announced it will operate at Spaceport America. The company plans to launch objects into space using electricity instead of fossil fuels.
January 8: An increase large contracts, primarily for space-related projects, prompted Northrop Grumman to announce that it will double its workforce in Albuquerque. The expansion will take place over the next three years.
January 3: Exos Aerospace's planned second launch of its SARGE rocket scheduled for January 5 at Spaceport America was postponed because of the federal government partial shutdown. Exos had applied for a modification of its launch license. The flight has been rescheduled for February 9.
November 27: UP Aerospace successfully launched a Space Loft 14 (SL-14) at Spaceport America. The launch vehicle reached an altitude of 57 miles. The flight, which carried multiple experimental payloads, was the company's thirteenth launch from the New Mexico spaceport.
November 4: A pad abort test of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft at White Sands Missile Range was successful, despite one of the three parachutes failing to open.
October 26: The fourth test launch of Exos Aerospace's SARGE rocket at Spaceport America failed. It reached an altitude of 8 miles, far short of the planned 50 miles. Exos CEO John Quinn said, "This is rocket science. We'll fix it and we will be going again."
October 7-8: NASA's iTech Forum holds its semi-annual meeting in Las Cruces to hear ten finalists' proposals for developing cutting-edge technologies applicable to space missions. One finalist, H-Trap One founder Luis Morales, is developing a product that can be used to store hydrogen.
September 19: NASA and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute tested a new instrument in a high-altitude balloon flight (up to 22 miles) over New Mexico. Launched from NASA's Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Fort Sumner, the balloon landed near Farmington. The instrument measured the density of the sun's corona along with the temperature and speed of electrons in the solar wind. The instrument is being developed to use on a future spaceflight.
September 17: Construction of Virgin Galactic's next spaceshiptwo progressed with the attachment of the wings to the cabin and fuselage.
August 13: Virgin Galactic's carrier aircraft arrived at Spaceport America, its new home.
August 7: Virgin Galactic announced it will relocate its carrier aircraft (aka "mothership"), VMS Eve, to its new home at Spaceport America. The company will also give the public its first view of the interior of its terminal/hangar facility at the spaceport.
June 18-22: The third annual Spaceport America Cup competition attracted more than 120 teams from 14 countries. More than 90 rockets were launched, including liquid, solid, and hybrid fueled models. Most of them reached their intended altitudes, which were specified by different levels of competition.
June 19: The US Department of Defense awarded a responsive launch prototype contract to SpinLaunch, a small satellite launch service that is developing a kinetic energy-based launch system. SpinLaunch is currently building a $7 million test facility at Spaceport America.
May 30 & 31: A team of 40 undergraduate students collaborated online, video conference, and phone conversations to build two rockets without any university support or funding, or guidance from a professor. They financed the project soliciting donations. Their first launch at Spaceport America on Friday reached an altitude of 100,000 feet. The following day, the second launch reached an altitude of over 52,000 feet.
May 21: The University of Southern California announced that more than 80 undergraduates contributed to the team's April 21 successful rocket launch on April 21 at Spaceport America. Subsequent analysis showed that the launch was the first by a student team to reach the 62-mile (100 km) altitude recognized by many as the edge of space. The USC rocket reached an altitude of 64.4 miles and reached a top speed of 3,386 miles per hour.
May 10: Virgin Galactic announced it is moving 100 employees and their families to New Mexico by the end of the summer, along with their mothership and spaceship. Final test flights will be conducted at Spaceport America before beginning commercial flights.
May 3: SpinLaunch announced it will break ground on May 7 on a new facility at Spaceport America. At least 20 people will work in the new facility. SpinLaunch is developing a new technology for a low-cost launch service for small satellites.
April 13: The most recent launch from Spaceport America was a rocket developed jointly by students at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Rocket Team and the Las Cruces company White Sands Research and Developers. The rocket reached an altitude of 23,500 feet and a speed of Mach 1.2.
March 11: The University of New Mexico is one of nine institutions chosen by NASA to examine pristine Moon samples returned by Apollo astronauts. These samples have been vacuum-sealed and frozen (Apollo 17) or stored in helium (Apollo 15) since 1972 and 1971, respectively.
March 2: Exos Aerospace launched a Sarge rocket from Spaceport America. It was the first time it launched a rocket that had flown before. This suborbital flight carried six research payloads.
February 22: On it fifth powered test flight, SpaceShipTwo Unity reached an altitude of 56.25 miles with three people aboard. Top speed was Mach 3.04.
January 24: Richard Branson announced that only a short series of flight tests of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo remain before the company begins commercial flights. He expects to be aboard the inaugural flight around midyear 2019.
January 24: Virgin Galactic selected Under Armour to design the uniforms for its employees and customers at Spaceport America.
January 14: SpinLaunch announced it will operate at Spaceport America. The company plans to launch objects into space using electricity instead of fossil fuels.
January 8: An increase large contracts, primarily for space-related projects, prompted Northrop Grumman to announce that it will double its workforce in Albuquerque. The expansion will take place over the next three years.
January 3: Exos Aerospace's planned second launch of its SARGE rocket scheduled for January 5 at Spaceport America was postponed because of the federal government partial shutdown. Exos had applied for a modification of its launch license. The flight has been rescheduled for February 9.
Photo Credits
Robert Goddard towing one of his rockets to the launch site near Roswell about 1931, courtesy of NASA.
WhiteKnightTwo carrying SpaceShipTwo at Spaceport America runway dedication flyover, photo by Loretta Hall.
Robert Goddard towing one of his rockets to the launch site near Roswell about 1931, courtesy of NASA.
WhiteKnightTwo carrying SpaceShipTwo at Spaceport America runway dedication flyover, photo by Loretta Hall.
Photo Credits
Robert Goddard towing one of his rockets to the launch site near Roswell about 1931, courtesy of NASA.
WhiteKnightTwo carrying SpaceShipTwo at Spaceport America runway dedication flyover, photo by Loretta Hall.
Unless otherwise credited, all material on this site is ©Loretta Hall 2010-2020.
Robert Goddard towing one of his rockets to the launch site near Roswell about 1931, courtesy of NASA.
WhiteKnightTwo carrying SpaceShipTwo at Spaceport America runway dedication flyover, photo by Loretta Hall.
Unless otherwise credited, all material on this site is ©Loretta Hall 2010-2020.
December 22: Boeing's Starliner landed successfully at White Sands Space Harbor after a less-than-successful attempt at its first (unoccupied) visit to the ISS.
November 27: UP Aerospace successfully launched a Space Loft 14 (SL-14) at Spaceport America. The launch vehicle reached an altitude of 57 miles. The flight, which carried multiple experimental payloads, was the company's thirteenth launch from the New Mexico spaceport.
November 4: A pad abort test of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft at White Sands Missile Range was successful, despite one of the three parachutes failing to open.
October 26: The fourth test launch of Exos Aerospace's SARGE rocket at Spaceport America failed. It reached an altitude of 8 miles, far short of the planned 50 miles. Exos CEO John Quinn said, "This is rocket science. We'll fix it and we will be going again."
October 7-8: NASA's iTech Forum holds its semi-annual meeting in Las Cruces to hear ten finalists' proposals for developing cutting-edge technologies applicable to space missions. One finalist, H-Trap One founder Luis Morales, is developing a product that can be used to store hydrogen.
September 19: NASA and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute tested a new instrument in a high-altitude balloon flight (up to 22 miles) over New Mexico. Launched from NASA's Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Fort Sumner, the balloon landed near Farmington. The instrument measured the density of the sun's corona along with the temperature and speed of electrons in the solar wind. The instrument is being developed to use on a future spaceflight.
September 17: Construction of Virgin Galactic's next spaceshiptwo progressed with the attachment of the wings to the cabin and fuselage.
August 13: Virgin Galactic's carrier aircraft arrived at Spaceport America, its new home.
August 7: Virgin Galactic announced it will relocate its carrier aircraft (aka "mothership"), VMS Eve, to its new home at Spaceport America. The company will also give the public its first view of the interior of its terminal/hangar facility at the spaceport.
June 18-22: The third annual Spaceport America Cup competition attracted more than 120 teams from 14 countries. More than 90 rockets were launched, including liquid, solid, and hybrid fueled models. Most of them reached their intended altitudes, which were specified by different levels of competition.
June 19: The US Department of Defense awarded a responsive launch prototype contract to SpinLaunch, a small satellite launch service that is developing a kinetic energy-based launch system. SpinLaunch is currently building a $7 million test facility at Spaceport America.
May 30 & 31: A team of 40 undergraduate students collaborated online, video conference, and phone conversations to build two rockets without any university support or funding, or guidance from a professor. They financed the project soliciting donations. Their first launch at Spaceport America on Friday reached an altitude of 100,000 feet. The following day, the second launch reached an altitude of over 52,000 feet.
May 21: The University of Southern California announced that more than 80 undergraduates contributed to the team's April 21 successful rocket launch on April 21 at Spaceport America. Subsequent analysis showed that the launch was the first by a student team to reach the 62-mile (100 km) altitude recognized by many as the edge of space. The USC rocket reached an altitude of 64.4 miles and reached a top speed of 3,386 miles per hour.
May 10: Virgin Galactic announced it is moving 100 employees and their families to New Mexico by the end of the summer, along with their mothership and spaceship. Final test flights will be conducted at Spaceport America before beginning commercial flights.
May 3: SpinLaunch announced it will break ground on May 7 on a new facility at Spaceport America. At least 20 people will work in the new facility. SpinLaunch is developing a new technology for a low-cost launch service for small satellites.
April 13: The most recent launch from Spaceport America was a rocket developed jointly by students at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Rocket Team and the Las Cruces company White Sands Research and Developers. The rocket reached an altitude of 23,500 feet and a speed of Mach 1.2.
March 11: The University of New Mexico is one of nine institutions chosen by NASA to examine pristine Moon samples returned by Apollo astronauts. These samples have been vacuum-sealed and frozen (Apollo 17) or stored in helium (Apollo 15) since 1972 and 1971, respectively.
March 2: Exos Aerospace launched a Sarge rocket from Spaceport America. It was the first time it launched a rocket that had flown before. This suborbital flight carried six research payloads.
February 22: On it fifth powered test flight, SpaceShipTwo Unity reached an altitude of 56.25 miles with three people aboard. Top speed was Mach 3.04.
January 24: Richard Branson announced that only a short series of flight tests of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo remain before the company begins commercial flights. He expects to be aboard the inaugural flight around midyear 2019.
January 24: Virgin Galactic selected Under Armour to design the uniforms for its employees and customers at Spaceport America.
January 14: SpinLaunch announced it will operate at Spaceport America. The company plans to launch objects into space using electricity instead of fossil fuels.
January 8: An increase large contracts, primarily for space-related projects, prompted Northrop Grumman to announce that it will double its workforce in Albuquerque. The expansion will take place over the next three years.
January 3: Exos Aerospace's planned second launch of its SARGE rocket scheduled for January 5 at Spaceport America was postponed because of the federal government partial shutdown. Exos had applied for a modification of its launch license. The flight has been rescheduled for February 9.
November 27: UP Aerospace successfully launched a Space Loft 14 (SL-14) at Spaceport America. The launch vehicle reached an altitude of 57 miles. The flight, which carried multiple experimental payloads, was the company's thirteenth launch from the New Mexico spaceport.
November 4: A pad abort test of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft at White Sands Missile Range was successful, despite one of the three parachutes failing to open.
October 26: The fourth test launch of Exos Aerospace's SARGE rocket at Spaceport America failed. It reached an altitude of 8 miles, far short of the planned 50 miles. Exos CEO John Quinn said, "This is rocket science. We'll fix it and we will be going again."
October 7-8: NASA's iTech Forum holds its semi-annual meeting in Las Cruces to hear ten finalists' proposals for developing cutting-edge technologies applicable to space missions. One finalist, H-Trap One founder Luis Morales, is developing a product that can be used to store hydrogen.
September 19: NASA and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute tested a new instrument in a high-altitude balloon flight (up to 22 miles) over New Mexico. Launched from NASA's Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Fort Sumner, the balloon landed near Farmington. The instrument measured the density of the sun's corona along with the temperature and speed of electrons in the solar wind. The instrument is being developed to use on a future spaceflight.
September 17: Construction of Virgin Galactic's next spaceshiptwo progressed with the attachment of the wings to the cabin and fuselage.
August 13: Virgin Galactic's carrier aircraft arrived at Spaceport America, its new home.
August 7: Virgin Galactic announced it will relocate its carrier aircraft (aka "mothership"), VMS Eve, to its new home at Spaceport America. The company will also give the public its first view of the interior of its terminal/hangar facility at the spaceport.
June 18-22: The third annual Spaceport America Cup competition attracted more than 120 teams from 14 countries. More than 90 rockets were launched, including liquid, solid, and hybrid fueled models. Most of them reached their intended altitudes, which were specified by different levels of competition.
June 19: The US Department of Defense awarded a responsive launch prototype contract to SpinLaunch, a small satellite launch service that is developing a kinetic energy-based launch system. SpinLaunch is currently building a $7 million test facility at Spaceport America.
May 30 & 31: A team of 40 undergraduate students collaborated online, video conference, and phone conversations to build two rockets without any university support or funding, or guidance from a professor. They financed the project soliciting donations. Their first launch at Spaceport America on Friday reached an altitude of 100,000 feet. The following day, the second launch reached an altitude of over 52,000 feet.
May 21: The University of Southern California announced that more than 80 undergraduates contributed to the team's April 21 successful rocket launch on April 21 at Spaceport America. Subsequent analysis showed that the launch was the first by a student team to reach the 62-mile (100 km) altitude recognized by many as the edge of space. The USC rocket reached an altitude of 64.4 miles and reached a top speed of 3,386 miles per hour.
May 10: Virgin Galactic announced it is moving 100 employees and their families to New Mexico by the end of the summer, along with their mothership and spaceship. Final test flights will be conducted at Spaceport America before beginning commercial flights.
May 3: SpinLaunch announced it will break ground on May 7 on a new facility at Spaceport America. At least 20 people will work in the new facility. SpinLaunch is developing a new technology for a low-cost launch service for small satellites.
April 13: The most recent launch from Spaceport America was a rocket developed jointly by students at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Rocket Team and the Las Cruces company White Sands Research and Developers. The rocket reached an altitude of 23,500 feet and a speed of Mach 1.2.
March 11: The University of New Mexico is one of nine institutions chosen by NASA to examine pristine Moon samples returned by Apollo astronauts. These samples have been vacuum-sealed and frozen (Apollo 17) or stored in helium (Apollo 15) since 1972 and 1971, respectively.
March 2: Exos Aerospace launched a Sarge rocket from Spaceport America. It was the first time it launched a rocket that had flown before. This suborbital flight carried six research payloads.
February 22: On it fifth powered test flight, SpaceShipTwo Unity reached an altitude of 56.25 miles with three people aboard. Top speed was Mach 3.04.
January 24: Richard Branson announced that only a short series of flight tests of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo remain before the company begins commercial flights. He expects to be aboard the inaugural flight around midyear 2019.
January 24: Virgin Galactic selected Under Armour to design the uniforms for its employees and customers at Spaceport America.
January 14: SpinLaunch announced it will operate at Spaceport America. The company plans to launch objects into space using electricity instead of fossil fuels.
January 8: An increase large contracts, primarily for space-related projects, prompted Northrop Grumman to announce that it will double its workforce in Albuquerque. The expansion will take place over the next three years.
January 3: Exos Aerospace's planned second launch of its SARGE rocket scheduled for January 5 at Spaceport America was postponed because of the federal government partial shutdown. Exos had applied for a modification of its launch license. The flight has been rescheduled for February 9.
Unless otherwise credited, all material on this site is © Loretta Hall 2010-2018.