Las Cruces, New Mexico - The private rocket company, UP Aerospace, launched their suborbital booster April 28th from New Mexico’s Spaceport America. All indications suggest a highly successful flight and payload recovery - although severe bad weather in the area delayed retrieval operations until Monday.

The SpaceLoft XL was packed with experiments, including the cremated remains of Star Trek’s “Scotty” - actor James Doohan. Also onboard were the ashes of Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper - as well as the cremated remains of more than 200 other people from all walks of life.

The SpaceLoft XL is built to carry scientific, educational, and entrepreneurial payloads up to 140 miles (225 kilometers) above Earth.

UP Aerospace is mounting its launch campaign from New Mexico’s Spaceport America north of Las Cruces.

As onlookers watched from a special eye witness locale nearly 4 miles away, the firm’s rocket shot quickly into the sky on its suborbital trajectory and nosed its way into space.

Spaceport America officials were delighted with Saturday’s liftoff - another step toward fully completing the sprawling facility intended to handle future passenger space travel operations too.