Spaceport America hosted its first FAA licensed vehicle launch on October 6. It was the 16th vertical launch at the Spaceport. The launch was conducted by Armadillo Aerospace. The vehicle was the STIG-B, which is larger and more capable member of their STIG family. The rocket carried research payloads developed by Purdue University students and the German equivalent of NASA. Launch preparations went very smoothly. Shortly after launch, the STIG-B approached its safety limits and the thrust was automatically terminated. As planned, the recovery system was able to bring the vehicle back gently landing near the launch pad.
The next launch at the Spaceport will again be Armadillo Aerospace. It will also be an FAA licensed vehicle launch.
