Preparatory work for the next UP Aerospace SpaceLoft-XL launch, mission SL-8, continues. Major activities involve coordination with White Sands Missile Range and the Federal Aviation Administration Albuquerque Air Route Traffic Control Center. An important milestone was the Mission Readiness Review which covered the state of readiness of the payloads as well as the mission support elements. The upcoming mission will be UP’s second launch under the NASA Flight Opportunity Program.
In an ongoing effort to better characterize Spaceport America land resources, the technical staff has started to accumulate data on land characteristics in and near the spaceport. Items of interest include slope, vegetation cover, soil type, and soil compaction. The goal is to develop a better understanding of the land to inform site decisions for future activities, and to better understand how water might flow and accumulate during heavy rain events such as that which recently occurred in Sierra County. Staff members have begun making soil compaction measurements using an instrument called a dual-mass dynamic cone penetrometer.
