The rocket launched from the former Loring Air Force Base in northeastern Maine, near Limestone, at around 3 p.m., local time (20:00 GMT) on Sunday, according to a live stream on the Brunswick-based company’s website.
The Stardust rocket, which uses a biofuel blended with a liquid oxidizer, is intended to be reusable and more environmentally-friendly.
The rocket carried three payloads, including a science project by Falmouth High School students.
Both the rocket and the payloads returned to the ground under a parachute shortly after launch, according to the Portland Press Herald, which said that the Stardust reached an altitude of just under 5,000 feet during the Sunday test launch.