LAUNCH Magazine unveiled an exclusive cover story on Rocketplane Global’s improved suborbital spacecraft at the X-PRIZE Cup exhibition in New Mexico in late October. The November/December issue of LAUNCH identifies in detail the previously secret modifications that Rocketplane has made to its XP spacecraft, designed to draw future space tourists. The magazine was given unprecedented advance acccess to the redesigned Rocketplane XP plans.

“There is no doubt that Rocketplane Global is a contender in the suborbital tourism race,” says Mark Mayfield, editor-in-chief, LAUNCH Magazine. “I think they gave us the story because they knew we would give them an objective and fair review, and that our readers would be intensely interested to read about what this spacecraft can do.”

In a joint news conference with LAUNCH on October 26, Rocketplane Global unveiled plans for the XP. Former Space Shuttle astronaut John Herrington, Rocketplane’s lead pilot, and the firm's program manager David Faulkner responded to a field of questions from a packed room of reporters—and copies of LAUNCH Magazine’s November/December issue were distributed to all attendees. Following the news conference, thousands of copies of the issue were given to those attending the X PRIZE Cup and Holloman Air and Space Expo. The event, drawing more than 50,000 spectators over three days, was held at Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo, N.M.

The issue also includes an in-depth interview with Scott Carpenter, one of only two surviving Mercury 7 astronauts. In the 6,000-word interview conducted at his home in Vail, Colorado, Carpenter looks back at the flight of his Aurora 7 spacecraft and responds to criticism of his mission from Mercury Flight Director Chris Kraft. Carpenter says Kraft’s comments (including a chapter labled “The Man Malfunctioned” in Kraft’s recent book) were “black-hearted, and it was disloyal and it tended to be divisive. In this case, like in all other cases, the flight stands on its own merits.” Carpenter spent nearly three hours at sea in a raft following his Mercury mission after splashing down 250 miles off course, but says he enjoyed the time alone. “It’s incomparable to me to anything else,” he told LAUNCH. “I’m so glad that I had a chance to contemplate that solo.”

Also in November/December’s LAUNCH: An in-depth examination of the threat from asteroids; an account of the Space Shuttle Endeavour’s recent flight; and an interview with Jeffrey Roth, director of the Apollo moon voyage documentary, The Wonder of It All. And for hobby rocketry buffs, writer Bob Sanford delivers an exclusive look back at the history of legendary Enerjet motors and kits. The issue also features the National Association of Rocketry’s recent annual meet, held this year in Delton, Michigan.