Memorial Spaceflights

Tribute Flight

Dedicated to all of those on board the mission and the ones that made it happen: their families and friends.

About The Tribute Flight

A mission of purpose, a dream fulfilled.

Launch Experience

Witness the power and grandeur of a launch into space.

Honored Participants

Read about the participants aboard the Tribute Flight.

Testimonials

Hear first hand impressions from Celestis launch guests.

Rear-facing camera of SL-2 showing release of the spacecraft from the booster.

 

About the Tribute Flight

Tribute Flight -- the 7th Earth Rise mission and 14th memorial spaceflight -- was launched to space at 8:01 am MST (10:01 am EST, 3:01 pm GMT) November 6, 2015, aboard a SpaceLoft XL rocket. It was a chilly but sunny morning in the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Family and friends cheered as the rocket rushed to carry its precious cargo to space and back. 

"It will take off very quick: 16 times the gravity (16 G's) it is really fast. The rocket produces about 12,000 pounds of thrust. It will be a delay you will see the light come on, everybody will cheer, then you hear the roar of the motor as it flies. Then it will burn for 15 seconds, reaching 4,000 feet." Jerry Larson, UP Aerospace CEO.

The Tribute Flight is dedicated to all of those on board the mission, their families and friends. It also pays tribute to the ancient Native Americans of northwestern New Mexico whose thousand-year-old architecture speaks of a culture that was very much in tune with the motions of the Sun, the Moon and the stars.

 

Earth Rise Service #7

Celestis Memorial Spaceflight: #14
Mission Name: Tribute Flight
Mission Status: Launched Successfully
Launch Location: Spaceport America, NM
Launch Date: November 6, 2015

Tribute Flight Launch Experience

"One of the things that makes this so interesting and so cutting edge is that UP Aerospace is able to accomplish real missions, increasingly complex missions in a small, compact and therefore affordable fashion. That is really a revolution in space technology." Charles M. Chafer, Celestis CEO

Memorial Service
"...we will always look to the sky when we miss you. Please rest in peace in your final resting place. And keep your eyes on us." Family and friends visit the rocket on the launch pad for a final farewell.
Mission Control Visit
"When you get out to the pad, your payload is the first that will touch space. We put it way up in the front, it is in the rocket nose. […] It is contained in the top blue section. " Jerry Larson, UP Aerospace Flight CEO, describes the launch sequence to guests.
Launch Day
Earth image aboard the Tribute Flight.
"It will take off very quick. It will be a delay, you will see the light come on, everybody will cheer, then you hear the roar of the motor as it flies." Jerry Larson, UP Aerospace CEO.
Mission Video

Honored Participants

ABOARD THE TRIBUTE FLIGHT

View All Participants

What Our Families Are Saying

Watch More Videos
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Tribute Flight Mission Logo

The Tribute Flight - The Tribute Flight logo incorporates both the continuing Celestis symbolic themes of angel wings, the New Mexico landscape, and a star taking flight, and adds a tribute to the ancient Native Americans of northwestern New Mexico. The deep colors speak of a culture (symbolized by the coiled shape) that was very much in tune with the motions of the Sun, the Moon and the stars.  The logo incorporates, for the first time, a reference to the launch site at Spaceport America and continues to honor our launch services provider, UP Aerospace.

The Tribute Flight logo is from well-known designer and illustrator Eric Gignac. Eric’s portfolio also includes co-design of NASA Space Shuttle mission patches for the STS 128 and 133 missions.

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