LAS CRUCES BULLETIN April 24, 2009

RSVP, $10 required for coach transport

Spaceport America and the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium will conduct the first annual education launch from Space port America at 8 a.m. Saturday, May 2.
The historic SL-3 mission will use a SpaceLoft XL launch vehicle provided by participating sponsor UP Aerospace that will carry 11 multi-sensor experiments designed and created by students from New Mexico schools.
The launch is open to the public by RSVP via coach transportation at $10 per person. No private vehicles are allowed to the launch site.
Students from the participating schools will attend the launch, along with their teachers, state and local officials, New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) staff, and others.

Many schools have experiments in the launch, including: • New Mexico State University • University of New Mexico • Doña Ana Community College • ITT Technical Institute • Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute • Cloudcroft High School • Hatch Valley High School • Hot Springs High School from Truth or Consequences • Las Cruces High School and Mayfield High School The launch will also include secondary payloads for the United States Air Force and Space Services, a private company that provides memorial spaceflights.
There are two locations to board buses. Buses will leave Las Cruces at 5:30 a.m. from the parking lot of the Kmart at 1900 Bataan Memorial East off U.S. Highway 70 near Del Rey Blvd. Residents of south ern New Mexico, including Las Cruces, Alamogordo and El Paso are encouraged to meet this bus. For residents north of Las Cruces, buses will leave from Hot Springs High School at 1200 N. Pershing St. in Truth or Consequences at 6 a.m.

The SL-3 mission is scheduled to launch at 8 a.m., with buses departing from Spaceport America at 9 a.m. All times are contingent upon weather and launch conditions. Those interested in witnessing the launch must RSVP online at www.spaceportamerica.com or by calling 373 6110 by Wednesday, April 29. Those who do not RSVP are not guaranteed admis sion. Participants are advised to bring water, sunglasses, sunscreen, head cover, closed-toe shoes with socks (no sandals) and pants (no shorts). There will be mini mal facilities, but cash food vendors will be located at the viewing area. Cameras and video cameras are allowed; however, cell phone use onsite will be reserved for critical launch operations staff only.