Article courtesy of Las Cruces Sun-News
By Diana M. Alba
As the 20-foot, 1,100-pound rocket fired gracefully skyward against the backdrop of a New Mexico sunrise Tuesday, something struck a chord in the heart of 19-year-old Quang Tran.
A Vietnam native who’s studying computer science at New Mexico Highlands University, Tran and his classmates were among the roughly 100 college and high school students from around the state who had science projects aboard the rocket. Going into the launch, Tran said, he was excited but didn’t realize how much the event would affect him.
“When I put on my camera and pointed to the rocket right at the time it went up, I just felt: ‘This is so emotional I can’t find any words to express it, and I think it’s one of the best moments I’ve ever experienced,” said Tran, a freshman.
Organizers called the second-ever educational launch at Spaceport America a success. The SL-4 rocket, made by the Colorado-based UP Aerospace, reached suborbital space — about 73 miles up — and fell to earth without many glitches. That’s in contrast to last year, when the first educational rocket launch only made it part of the way to space.
Though it reached suborbital space, UP Aerospace President Jerry Larson said the rocket didn’t reach its goal of 80 miles. Still, “we exceeded space by 10 miles,” he said.
In addition to students’ experiments, 30 cremated remains of people were on board, paid for by family members seeking a novel tribute to their loved ones. Charles Chafer, CEO of Celestis, which sells the memorial flights, said the most well-known figure included was the late Ralph White, discoverer of the sunken location of the Titanic. White’s remains were first flown last year, but, because the rocket didn’t reach space, had to be flown again this year.
Asked if there were additional famous names, Chafer replied: “None others, but, as I like to say, everyone has a story. Everyone has lived an interesting life.”
After a launch delay because of a crashed computer, the rocket shot into the air around 6:40 a.m. with a rushing sound. It disappeared quickly from sight.
Tran wasn’t the only one mesmerized by the event. Virginia Grossetete, 74, of Albuquerque, bought one of the $20 attendance tickets that were sold to the general public. She had glowing remarks about the launch, saying she’s optimistic about the spaceport’s future. “We didn’t think it was going to be so vivid,” she said. “Just think what it would be like to be inside.” Added Liz Crain of Albuquerque, who attended with Grossetete: “It makes us proud to be New Mexicans.”
The rocket reached its peak about 2.5 minutes into flight, officials said. Meanwhile, it took about 13 minutes to descend, landing on White Sands Missile Range ground. Officials said the rocket was quickly located and the payloads were expected to be returned to students starting Tuesday.
In all, roughly 200 spectators attended: a mix of students, their parents, state officials, journalists and members of the general public. A group of sixth-graders from Truth or Consequences took a field trip to watch the event, though they didn’t have a payload on board. “It’s an opportunity to come out here and see things others can’t,” said Skylar Green of Truth or Consequences, 12. “We’re going to hear and see with our own eyes the launch, instead of seeing it on TV.”
Students from New Mexico State University and the University of New Mexico were involved with rocket projects, but didn’t attend because of final exams, said Aaron Perez, program coordinator for the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium, which hosted the launch.
Officials also offered a tour of the spaceport site, about five miles north of where the rocket was launched. Workers appeared to be making significant headway on the 10,000-foot runway and the terminal-hangar facility.
Said Rick Homans, chairman of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority: “As Spaceport America continues to move forward, it’s gratifying to see another successful launch take flight and to see the excitement in the faces of the students who launched their experiments.”
Perez said carrying out the program — including the launch and mission assurance and conducting training for students — cost about $350,000. A large part of the funding, he said, is coming from a grant aimed at helping minority students.
Tran, participating in the student launch for the first time, said it was life-changing, and he sees a future for himself in aerospace. “It is not about the project, it’s how you feel about it — how you contribute to something that carries both your hopes and faith into the sky and brings you something back,” he said.
Spaceport America, located about 45 miles north of Las Cruces, is an under-construction launch site for commercial space vehicles in southeastern Sierra County.
