The Link Volume 6, Issue 4 -- Winter 2006

Que Pasa at PSL

For just over a year now, we have been positioning PSL to take advantage of the strategic directions outlined in "Living the Vision-A Performance Plan for Excellence" (http://ltv.nmsu.edu/). This plan calls for the research faculty and staff at NMSU to develop and support five nationally and internationally recognized interdisciplinary research focus areas supported through external funding.

As the largest research and development unit at NMSU with over $60 million in R&D expenditures in the last fiscal year, PSL is taking a leading role in this effort. A comprehensive review revealed that the Laboratory's programs fall into two of NMSU's five research focus areas, and PSL has been reorganized accordingly.

The 21st Century Aerospace department, headed by Stephen B. Hottman (Associate Dean for Research and Development), includes the high altitude balloon, unmanned aerial vehicle, Spaceport, sounding rocket, and missile programs (and their associated communications and telemetry systems). The Information Sciences and Security Systems department, headed by Enedina Vazquez (Associate Dean for University and Academic Affairs and the Director of Intelligence Studies at NMSU), includes the modeling, simulation, electronic countermeasures, homeland security and counter-terrorism research, advanced signals, imagery, and signature analysis programs.

NMSU and PSL continue to act as leaders in the development of Spaceport America, which is located near Upham, New Mexico. The first launch from this facility took place on September 25, 2006 at approximately 2:15 p.m. The rocket launched was UP Aerospace's SpaceLoft XL, a 20-foot tall, single-stage, solid-fuel sounding rocket, which achieved an altitude of about 40,000 feet before a failure caused it to corkscrew out of control. Although the rocket did not reach its desired 300,000+ ft. target altitude, the launch was a resounding success with respect to the performance of the spaceport systems, processes, procedures, and personnel. Temporary launch facilities for Spaceport America were designed by PSL's Spaceport Team, led by Dr. William Gutman. The Team developed most of the Spaceport operating procedures and instrumentation and made up a significant portion of the launch support crew.

Although there has been a great deal of press promoting "space tourism" recently, the less glamorous commercial sounding rockets and small payloads will likely comprise a large portion of the Spaceport's business and job opportunities. PSL has been supporting rockets of all types since it began in 1946, and we are looking forward to participating in the new era of space commercialization in the months and years ahead.