Rocket launch part of new biz for UP Aerospace
New Mexico Business Weekly - by Kevin Robinson-Avila NMBW Staff
UP Aerospace quietly launched a low-altitude rocket from Spaceport America on Dec. 19.
The launch remained confidential until after it was over because the client that hired UP to test new rocket technology requested that it remain private, said UP President Jerry Larson.
"We did conduct a test flight to try out new launch technologies," Larson said. "The customer wanted the launch to be confidential, so we didn't notify the public about it until afterwards. All the test objectives were met in the launch."
The rocket reached an altitude of 2,700 feet -- far short of space, which begins at 328,000 feet. That was deliberate, Larson said. The company was only testing launch capabilities.
"This wasn't a space shot," Larson said. "It wasn't that type of test. We never even lost sight of the rocket."
This is UP's third launch from Spaceport America, located in the desert near Upham in southern New Mexico.
UP's first launch to suborbit in September 2006 failed at about 40,000 feet, but its second launch last April successfully reached space. Those earlier launches contained commercial, academic and personal payloads from customers who paid to send things like photos, cremated remains of loved ones, and scientific experiments to space.
The latest launch, however, represents a completely new business strategy for UP Aerospace to test emerging rocket technology for large aerospace contractors. Larson said the new business could significantly dwarf the tourist payload business.
"This client plans to do more launches," Larson said. "We also have a second client -- a major aerospace company -- that wants us to do similar launches. This shows that space companies and organizations recognize the benefit of Spaceport America and they're reaching out to small companies like ours to work with them. It could mean a whole new stream of revenue for us and for the spaceport."
Larson said aerospace companies are contracting UP because, as a small firm, UP can conduct lean operations.
"We're capable of providing quality services at lower cost than the bigger companies," Larson said. "As we do more of these kinds of operations, I think more aerospace contractors worldwide will take notice. We believe this kind of commercial business could generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue -- no exaggeration."
Larson declined to discuss what technology UP tested or how much his company was paid. In fact, Larson said part of the test was to see if UP and the spaceport authorities could keep the Dec. 19 launch confidential.
"We met the customer's expectation of confidentiality," Larson said. "That's important as we pursue more business with that client and with other aerospace contractors. Thanks to the success of yesterday's operation, we'll probably do another launch with this same customer in the first quarter of 2008."
krobinson-avila@bizjournals.com | 348-8302
Das Unternehmen UP Aerospace hat am 19. Dezember 2007 einen Raketenstart vom Raumflughafen Spaceport America aus unternommen. Dabei handelte es sich um einen Testabschuss, der vorher nicht angekündigt worden war. 

Der Präsident von UP Aerospace, Jerry Larson, teilte mit, dass dieser im Auftrag eines Kunden gemacht worden sei, der nicht genannt werden wolle. Auch wurde vereinbart, dass erst nach dem Start eine Mitteilung an die Öffentlichkeit herausgegeben werden sollte. Mit dem Flug sollte eine neue Technik erprobt werden. Die Rakete erreichte planmäßig eine Höhe von 2.700 Fuß (etwa 823 Metern). Larson betonte auch, dass dieser Flug planmäßig nicht den Weltraum erreichen sollte und dass jederzeit über die Rakete Kontrolle bestanden habe.

Der Flug wurde nun von Verantwortlichen des Spaceport America in New Mexico bekannt gegeben. Bei diesem habe es sich um den zweiten erfolgreichen Flug des Jahres 2007 gehandelt. Insgesamt hat UP Aerospace seit seiner Existenz drei Raketen gestartet. Mit dem Start hat das Unternehmen auch ein neues Geschäftsfeld erschlossen: den Test von Technologien für größere Unternehmen. Ein zweiter Kunde habe bereits Interesse signalisiert. Im ersten Quartal 2008 soll im Auftrag des gleichen Kunden erneut ein Flug stattfinden.