Four to Six Launches Set For 2007

At the same news conference that announced the launch of the remains of James Doohan and astronaut Gordon Cooper, UP Aerospace President Jerry Larson revealed his Connecticut-based company's plans for southern NM, reported the Associated Press.

"As of this morning at 9:30, I signed the paperwork for UP Aerospace to operate from Spaceport America for 2007," Larson said. The Connecticut-based firm first launched from the spaceport site on Sept. 25, 2006.

The site, just north of Las Cruces, consists of a 100-by-25-foot concrete pad, but NM state officials are said to be planning to invest millions to turn the spaceport into a premier commercial launching zone.

UP first launched from the site last September. Unfortunately, it saw its SpaceLoft XL rocket spiral out of control, a failure blamed on the tail fin design, as reported by ANN (A fourth fin has been added to SpaceLoft SL-2). The company has expressed confidence the new design will prove successful.

Larson said the agreement with NM allows UP to launch from the spaceport site in southern Sierra County as often as it wants; however, only four to six launches are planned for this year.

Larson would not disclose how much the company pays the state per launch for use of its facility and state officials were unavailable for comment Friday, according to news media.

UP's plans are not contingent on Tuesday's spaceport tax election, which has been followed by ANN. The tax election is an important issue that will ask Doña Ana County voters to increase the gross receipts tax rate one-quarter of 1 percent to help pay for construction of Spaceport America.

Larson noted that UP views southern NM as an ideal location and that the company will continue to launch from Spaceport America until its agreement expires. If the spaceport isn't built, Larson said, the company will examine the possibility of launching from another spaceport.

FMI: www.spaceportamerica.com/home.html, www.upaerospace.com, www.co.dona-ana.nm.us