Itinerary

Lodging

Directions

Launch FAQ

Links

RSVP

Activities Schedule
Transportation Tips
Registration
Safety & Comfort

Welcome all who are attending the events of the Celestis Legacy Memorial Spaceflight. We are pleased that you are traveling to New Mexico to be a part of this mission.

Here you will find details on all of the events and activities sponsored by Celestis, Inc. as well as information you will need to navigate to and from the various venues and locations we are using. Please review all of the information carefully – your launch experience will be optimal if you do.

The published schedule is subject to change prior to the dates of the mission, so please regularly check our Web site, www.memorialspaceflght.com, for the latest information. Click on the Legacy Flight button on the home page to instantly reach the latest information.

The launch of the Legacy Flight is scheduled for NET 8:30 am local time on Saturday, April 28th. There is a six hour “window” during which the launch may occur on April 28th. Should the mission be scrubbed for any reason on Saturday, the next available launch window opens at 8:30 am on Sunday, April 29th.

* If the launch is scrubbed on April 28th, all launch day activities will recycle at the same times and locations on April 29th if UP Aerospace determines that the launch can proceed.

Transportation Tips – You will need to have access to personal transportation to participate in these activities. Please allow plenty of time to drive between Las Cruces and Alamogordo (April 27 Memorial Service) and Las Cruces and Hatch (April 28 Launch). There are US Immigration and Naturalization Service checkpoints on the major roads and sometimes traffic can back up. We recommend allowing a minimum of one hour and fifteen minutes for each journey.

You will find reserved parking at each of the three parking venues – New Mexico State University (Launch Tour), New Mexico Museum of Space History (Memorial Service), and Hatch High School (Launch). Please park in the designated areas as directed by local personnel.

Registration – All Celestis Legacy Flight Events, except the Public Memorial Service on April 27th, require a company issued participant’s badge for entry. Your badge will be issued only by a Celestis representative when you register. At registration, any unpaid transportation fees must be remitted before a badge may be issued. Please retain and display this badge for all activities.

You will receive a complete package of information at registration, including maps and guides to restaurants and attractions in Southern New Mexico. We love New Mexico and encourage you, if you are able, to discover the Land of Enchantment.

Safety & Comfort – Spaceport America is still very much a facility under development and our launch viewing site might otherwise be confused with the New Mexico desert. At the site, which is equipped for handicapped guests, you will find a large tent, folding chairs for seating, portable toilet and washing facilities, and several local vendors offering food and drink. The facility is also equipped for sound, so the final hour of the countdown will be broadcast. Emergency medical and fire equipment will be present.

You are encouraged to bring whatever you can carry (in as well as out!) in the way of cameras, binoculars, and clothing. Bring sunscreen, chapstick, lotion, sunglasses, a hat, and wear comfortable, but sturdy shoes. The ground is firm, sandy soil intermittently disturbed by clumps of grass. Step carefully and keep an eye open for snakes and other desert varmints. Keep a watchful eye on children as well.

Please remember that we are guests of Spaceport America and pay attention to instructions provided by local police and state officials. Do not litter or otherwise disturb the natural area. Cell phone reception is spotty at best and may be restricted at launch. Celestis staff will have communication capabilities with the outside world, but do not count on being able to make calls from the viewing area.

We are providing this viewing site primarily for the families, friends, and loved ones of participants on our Legacy Memorial Spaceflight. However, there are other categories of guests in attendance as well. These groups include state and local officials, members of the media, school children who have experiments aboard the rocket, and fans of Star Trek actor James Doohan who have come to honor and remember his life.

Family members who wish not to speak to the media or who might otherwise wish to have a more secluded experience should identify themselves at Registration to Celestis staff. We will do our best to honor your wishes.