Back to the drawing board

White Sands, N.M.

A rocket launched by a private company crashed in the New Mexico desert this week before it achieved orbit. SpaceLoft XL, built by Connecticut-based UP Aerospace, climbed to 40,000 feet, but then veered off course and crashed in the vicinity of New Mexico’s White Sands Missile Range. The rocket was carrying a payload of about 50 small items, including some cremated remains and school science experiments. UP Aerospace is one of several companies vying to make space travel available to the public. “It’s going to take a long time to make it safe for the general public,” said UP Aerospace president Jerry Larson. “But it will happen.”