SpaceLoft XL rocket launch from Spaceport America (file photo).
A SpaceLoft XL sounding rocket launch from Spaceport America in New Mexico appears to have succeeded, according to initial Twitter reports out of New Mexico.
The flight, which was paid for by NASA’s Flight Opportunities Program, was flown to test six technologies. One of the experiments included the transmission of the first text messages to space.
Descriptions of the payloads and the launch vehicle follow after the break.