Courtesy of Spaceport America
Spaceport America hosted its second FAA licensed launch on November 3. This launch marked the 17th vertical launch from the Spaceport. As with the previous licensed launch, the vehicle was the Armadillo Aerospace STIG-B. The rocket carried research payloads developed by Purdue University and the University of Braunschweig, Germany for the German equivalent of NASA. Lift-off occurred at approximately 10:25AM. The on-board safety system detected an anomalous condition shortly after lift-off and the engine shut down. Their recovery system worked perfectly with the steerable parachute system bringing the vehicle back to a gentle landing near the launch pad. The vehicle currently is being prepared for its next flight which is expected to occur early next year.
