WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M. - UP Aerospace has achieved a milestone with the successful launch of its high-performance Spyder rocket.
The maiden flight took place at Launch Complex 36, reaching the threshold of hypersonic speeds similar to the UP Aerospace SpaceLoft rocket missions that have been operational for 20 years.
Spyder was specifically designed to support hypersonic missions reaching speeds of Mach 10.
The launch vehicle is the result of an eight-year collaboration between UP Aerospace, Cesaroni Aerospace, NASA's Flight Opportunities Program, Marshall Space Flight Center and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Since 2005, UP Aerospace and Cesaroni Aerospace have worked closely to develop solid rocket motors technologies including the Spyder booster and upper stage motors.
Future developments of Spyder include the maximum performance booster motor and multi upper stage Spyder variants capable of achieving altitude's approaching 300 km to support a wide variety of hypersonic mission objectives.
"The successful launch of Spyder-1 sets the stage for the next mission, which will integrate guidance and control systems into the Spyder-2 vehicle," UP Aerospace President and CEO Jerry Larson said. "We are excited for its upcoming launch, scheduled for early 2026."
