At New Mexico’s Spaceport America it has been an eventful – and long — launch day for UP Aerospace and the firm’s SpaceLoft XL rocket. With some 300 VIPs, including state officials, payload customers, and others arriving in cold, pre-dawn hours today for the first rocket launch from the location, the rocket’s suborbital liftoff has been delayed for hours. Reason for the launch delay: a transponder failed. Specialists had to dive into the rocket to fix the problem, successfully doing so. The electronic transmitter is essential hardware. The weather continues to look good to support the rocket’s departure at Spaceport America. If no other technical snags crop up, the rocket will boost over 50 experiments and payloads from private and educational sectors, worldwide. The launch slip extended from 7:30 a.m. to a hoped for 2:00 p.m. local time blastoff. The New Mexico spaceport site is approximately 70 square kilometers of open, generally level range land north of Las Cruces and east of Truth or Consequences. This location was favored for its low population density, uncongested airspace and high elevation.