JEFFERSON, Georgia USA — Employees at Hybrid Dynamics Aerospace clapped and cheered Monday morning as they raised a 25-foot rocket outside their rural Jefferson, Gerogia. facility.

After months of ground-testing and construction, the large silver rocket will be the firm’s first flight test of a unique propulsion system that could someday put satellites into orbit at a much lower cost than today’s technology.

The rocket and its ground launch system are now on their way to the Black Rock Desert in Nevada for a scheduled launch Sept. 18-19.

The hybrid motor system is expected to push the rocket to above 50,000 feet altitude.

Parachutes will bring the rocket back to the ground so that the firm can examine components of the propulsion system.

Hybrid Dynamics is owned by Aloise McNichols, Jefferson, who is president of the firm.

Drew Prentice, Nicholson, is vice president of research and development, and Carl McNichols, Jefferson, is vice president of external affairs.

The company has done some work for both civilian and military departments, but the hybrid propulsion system is being funded by the firm itself.

The Black Rock test flight is part of the company’s long-range sounding rocket program to develop and build low-cost rocket motors to deploy a variety of research items into the earth's atmosphere and perhaps into orbit.