Spaceport America Newsletter | October-December 2024

Events, updates and information regarding the world's first purpose-built commercial spaceport

Newsletter | October-December 2024

Events, updates and information regarding the world's first purpose-built commercial spaceport.

UP Aerospace Conducts Suborbital Research Mission at Spaceport America

Colorado-based UP Aerospace launched its 21 st suborbital space flight from the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport at 7:09 a.m. local time Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024.

“We congratulate UP Aerospace on this spectacular and successful space launch,” said Scott McLaughlin, Executive Director of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority. “It was quite beautiful, taking place just as the sun was rising over the quiet desert. We know how important this launch was to UP and its payload customers, some of which are from right here in New Mexico.”

One of Spaceport America’s foundational tenants, UP Aerospace partnered with NASA’s Flight Opportunities program on its latest flight, SL-15, which featured its SpaceLoft rocket shuttling a variety of payloads to sub-orbital heights.

Complete Press Release

Southern New Mexico Space, Aerospace Organizations Celebrate Opening of NewSpace Nexus Co-Innovation Hub

Along with a multitude of individuals from the aerospace and space communities in southern New Mexico, Spaceport America personnel were present for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at New Mexico State University's Arrowhead Center on Thursday, Oct. 17. Albuquerque-based NewSpace Nexus opened a co-innovation hub at the Arrowhead Center which unites startups and assistance providers across the space, agriculture, and clean energy sectors.

About NewSpace Nexus | About The Arrowhead Center

Spaceport America Takes Part in Las Cruces Air & Space Expo

Personnel from Spaceport America were present at the 2024 Las Cruces Air & Space Expo held at the Las Cruces International Airport on Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 19-20.

Dozens of organizations were present at the two-day expo which welcomed thousands to the area.

About the Las Cruces Air & Space Expo

UP Aerospace and Los Alamos National Labs Celebrate Successful Suborbital Research Mission at Spaceport America

For the second time this year, longtime Spaceport America tenant UP Aerospace launched a successful suborbital research mission from the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport. The launch of UP Aerospace’s SpaceLoft-20 rocket on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, signified the success of a payload and research mission the Colorado-based aerospace company completed for Los Alamos National Laboratory.

“Congratulations to both UP Aerospace and Los Alamos,” said Scott McLaughlin, Executive Director of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority. “We are happy that Spaceport America can enable connections and launches between local entities like these two great organizations.”

Los Alamos’s Cyclone-1 payload and research mission allowed the organization to conduct crucial flight testing of new components and technologies.

SpinLaunch Featured on Episode of PBS Television Series

Long-running PBS series NOVA, the most-watched prime-time science series on American television, highlighted longtime Spaceport America tenant SpinLaunch on the premier episode of Building Stuff - a three-part series that details the ups and downs with engineers as they design, build, and iterate their way through challenges.

Originally aired Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, the episode featured a 10-minute segment on SpinLaunch which informed viewers of its business model as well as the company's first successful launch from Spaceport America in 2021.

Watch Building Stuff: Boost It!

Lohn-Jaramillo Named to Albuquerque Business Journal's Who's Who in Aerospace 2024 List

Each December since 2022, through its startup and technology-focused outlet New Mexico Inno, Albuquerque Business First has compiled its Who's Who in Aerospace list made up of professionals from around the state who are taking the aerospace industry to new heights.

Featured in the 2024 edition was Dr. Joachim Lohn-Jaramillo, an aerospace engineer at Spaceport America. Lohn-Jaramillo joins Dr. Francisco Pallares (Director of Economic Development) and Scott McLaughlin (Executive Director) as individuals whom New Mexico Inno has spotlighted as part of their series.

New Mexico Inno Who's Who in Aerospace 2024 (subscription required)

State, University, and Civic Leaders Pay Visit to Spaceport America

A group comprised of twenty-five high-level New Mexico civic leaders as well higher education administration from around the region collaborated with Spaceport America and its anchor tenant, Virgin Galactic, for a comprehensive site visit Friday, December 6, 2024.

Among those in attendance were New Mexico Economic Development Department Cabinet Secretary Rob Black, City of Las Cruces mayor Eric Enriquez, El Paso County Commissioner Iliana Holguin, UTEP President Dr. Heather Wilson, New Mexico State University President Dr. Valerio Ferme, New Mexico Tech President Dr. Mahyar Amouzegar, and University of New Mexico Director of COSMIAC Dr. Christos Christodoulou.

Designed to educate and inform all attendees about Spaceport America and its tenants, the visit also illustrated the potential of new and continued partnerships in the region between Spaceport America, Virgin Galactic, and their immediate cities and educational institutions.

Kirtland Air Force Base Public Affairs Office Visit Spaceport America

One of the three United States Air Force bases in New Mexico, Kirtland Air Force Base continued to strengthen its relationship with Spaceport America by dispatching members of its public affairs office for a visit to the world's first purpose-built commercial spaceport.

Nine members of the base's public affairs office spent the better part of Monday, Dec. 9, learning about the site, its tenants, and how it operates.

About Kirtland Air Force Base

Gadsden ISD STEM Festival Allows Spaceport America to Engage…