ALAMOSA — Rocketry enthusiasts from across the West and beyond will flock to the San Luis Valley this weekend for the National Sport Launch West three-day model rocketry event Saturday through Monday. Organizers have committed the event to the SLV for the next three years, last launching here in 2021.

The event site is southwest of Alamosa and will be hosted by the San Luis Valley Rocketeers. Flights will begin at 8 a.m. daily and continue through 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, closing at 2 p.m. on Monday. Spectators should take U.S. Highway 285 south out of Alamosa to the 12 South, turn west for 10 miles and follow the signs.

Matt Abbey, one of the sponsors of the local club, said early bookings for the event are climbing, noting that “our little local club has established the San Luis Valley as the premier launch site in the West.”

He said the launch site has gotten some upgrades and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has raised the flying ceiling here to 52,000 feet above ground level. The local club last hosted the event in 2021 bringing hundreds of visitors to the SLV and Abbey said the 2023 launch will follow a similar format.

The club will again host local youth who want to show up and fly a rocket for free in the “fly it, take it” offer, where youth are given a rocket and engine and some training to fly it before eventually going home with the rocket.

Estes Rockets of Penrose sponsors the event and expects to have 300 rockets available to local youth.