UP Aerospace launches suborbital flight to test GNSS payloads

Colorado-based UP Aerospace launched its 21^st suborbital space flight from the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport occurred at 7:09 a.m. local time Tuesday (Oct. 1, 2024).

One of Spaceport America’s foundational tenants, UP Aerospace partnered with NASA’s Flight Opportunities program on its latest flight, SL-15, which featured its SpaceLoft rocket shuttling a variety of payloads to sub-orbital heights.

One payload was a suite of multi-GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receivers from NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program, the European Space Agency, the Italian Space Agency, and their contractors Fraunhofer and Qascom. GNSS refers to any satellite constellation that provides global positioning, navigation, and timing services, including GPS (United States) and Galileo (Europe). Determining the scope of interoperability was of paramount importance to the flight test, the results of which will be presented to the International Committee on GNSS (ICG) as part of the United Nations Committee for the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

Las Cruces, N.M.-based Immortal Data was the builder of a payload for New Mexico Tech’s experiment on spacecraft health monitoring and real-time systems. Immortal Data also tested out and collected environmental data on some of its own equipment as it relates to product development.

An additional payload was an advanced prototype ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) transmitter that could potentially be used for independent, low-cost tracking of space launch vehicles.

NASA’s Flight Opportunities program demonstrates technologies developed by industry, academia, and NASA and other government scientists through testing with a variety of commercial flight providers. Available flight platforms include suborbital rockets, aircraft flying parabolic profiles to achieve reduced gravity, and high-altitude balloons.

spaceportamerica.com