The post that never was

Man, I got totally sucked into a pre-April Fools Day gag and came close to posting about it. And no, I ain't about to say what it was.

RDS is back

Every so often the question arises: where is Rocket Dynamic Systems (RDS)? Evidently they went underground due to family health issues. I'm happy to hear that's resolved and that they are back with a full line of HPR kits, parts and supplies.

EMRR stuff

Well, today's update features my first rocket review of the year...for the Area 51 SPEV Saucer. I'm now tied with Chan for the most reviews and IT'S ON! :)

Rocket Girls #64

Here are a few TARC competitors from this month's NARHAMS launch.

Is there a new propellant coming?

There is an great thread on YORF about an Estes-Cox patent application for an new propellant. This propellant, Vulcanite^TM EB-75, is based on potassium perchlorate and offers an ISP of over double that of BP, approaching that of AP. Like BP, it would be packed, which means existing machines at Estes could conceivably be used to develop sub-62.5 g 'F' motors. I recommend you read the thread and then pop over to this page to tale a look-see at the application. I for one got bogged down quickly and will rely on the YORF thread.

This coming Monday, Estes' Barry Tunick will be on YORF answering questions. I'm sure some of those questions will address Vulcanite^TM EB-75. However, I'm not sure he'd say much until ready for a formal announcement.

TRF '1.0' database has been recovered

Today, TRF owner AKPilot announced that another admin, Troj, had recovered the corrupted database from the original TRF (aka TRF 1.0). Access to this data may be a month or more away and it's not clear how well integrated it will be. In any event, this is a good thing as there have been several cases where I wanted to access some of the old threads.

The Mythbusters shake, rattle, and roll Yolo County, California

The Mythbusters went out to the country for one of their experiments and got more than the bargained for. They reportedly set off 500 pounds of ammonium nitrate, which rattled the nearby town and broke windows. Unlike the recent stunt on the Potomac. I guess that's a good thing. (via KCRA.com)

It's almost Robot Fest time here in Maryland

Just in case any of y'all have any interest:

Home made gadget meets bomb squad

The TSA's Evolution of Security blog has a post warning do-it-yourselfers, hackers, and 'Makers' not to try to sneak home made electronics by the screeners. These things look suspicious on the X-rays and their people evidently aren't qualified to tell a harmless gadget from a nefarious one. The one pictured above was blown up by the Palm Springs bomb squad when they couldn't determine it was benign. The recommendation is to leave it, check it, or at least give an up front warning that it is there.

(Dang, I wish the title field was spell checked as a default. I know it's a crutch, but it appears I need it. It wouldn't stop my stupid typos, but would certainly help!)

On tissue regeneration (egads...an Oprah post)

I actually watched Oprah late last night (technically early this morning). The show was pretty interesting. Oprah regular Dr. Oz talked about life extension. I've heard about calorie restriction for over 10 years so that wasn't new. However, the segment on tissue regeneration was fascinating. The Ozmeister visited a lab at Wake Forrest where they are regenerating tissue including muscle, bone, arteries, a human bladder, and heart valves. They use forms made from both artificial and natural materials and impregnate them with processed blood from the target individual. They then incubate and stimulate them and within weeks you have a body part. Stem cells in action! They also had a person on who regenerated the tip of his finger, including the nail. He lopped it off in a model airplane accident and, fortunately for him, his brother works in that field. The brother provided him some material (I forget what it was) that he kept on the finger stump until it grew back. I'll take this part with a grain of salt. If interested, check out the video (link provided above).

A poof on the Potomac

DCist has a couple of shots of today's FX explosion on the Potomac. Meh. I wouldn't even have been concerned had I seen it and not been forewarned. But then, thanks to the good folks at MDRA. I'm used to 'M' - 'O' fire and smoke.

Slow blogging, brief catch-up

Blogging has been slow around the Dungeon. I got Roxio Creator and am copying old videos to DVD. My laptop was of average power two years ago but manipulating multi-gigabyte files eats its lunch. It will do it, but it tends to barf if I try to even surf the net at the same time.

Here's a few things I noticed:

• I got an email from the NAR S&T folks announcing the certification of AeroTech's 24mm F32T. This had made the rounds on the forums but I'm still happy to see direct communication with the membership.
• I was emailed by the owner of the Black Knight: Hybrid Rocket RC Car blog, which I'm now following.
  
• Paul Breed is still alive and kickin'. No smoke and fire in this update.
  
• R2K posted some cool photos of the Sprint ABM.
  

Tower construction at Cape Higgs

I see the launch tower at Higgs Farm is going up in preparation for the April 25th flight of Steve Eves' 1:10 scale Saturn V.

NARHAMS photos

My photos from last weekend's launch can be found here.

Big a$$ rocket of the day - 1/3 scale X15

Not really a rocket...yet. But this is a build you may want to follow - PunkRocketScience X15.

Smoke on the water, fire in the sky

If you see a massive fireball over the Potomac just north of the Key Bridge on March 25th between 9:30am and 12:00pm (noon), have no fear. The DCist reports that it will just be CBS Paramount will be filming the “Washington Field”.

What, you missed NARCON 2009?

Well, so did I. But R2K didn't and he has a nice report of what he saw.

Ahhh, painting weather is here

Today was reasonably warm and calm so I ventured forth the slung some primer on my 29mm Big Daddy and the rebuild of my 58mm JATO bullet rocket.

RIP Terps

Bah, maybe I shoulda washed the t-shirt?

Cosmos on Hulu

I hear that the entire Cosmos series is on Hulu. What else would you expect? Hulu is run by brain-eating aliens, after all.

Launch Report 2009-1

Location: Old National Pike Park, Mt. Airy, MD (NARHAMS)
Weather: up to 48 degs, wind calm to mild, sunny to overcast
Total flights: Today - 10; YTD - 10
Total motors: Today - 10; YTD - 10

The weather was great for March but was a tad chillier than expected. The flight rate started low with about half my flights occurring in the first hour. Then it picked up nicely with 4 or 5 TARC teams participating. I put 2 packs of Quest C6-3 motors (6 total) from my recent windfall up for grabs but only had one taker by the time I left. I'm sure the LCO's can figure what to do with any remainder. These motors have a noticeably deeper nozzle than their Estes counterparts and the Q2/G2 dipped igniters fit nicely. The burn is noticeably longer so I don't know how they can be C6's. I have to research the as-tested average and total impulse ratings. These are nice motors!

My Flights:

1. First Flight Hobbies Corn Roc (Beta) on a Estes C6-3 - This was a highly belated first flight for this Beta test build. It spun a little but otherwise had a very straight boost. Ejection was a tad late. I made an error on this Beta build and had to adjust the nose weight a bit.
2. First Flight Hobbies Corn Roc (Beta) on a Quest C6-3 - The flight profile was the same as for the first flight but ejection was a little later.
   
3. Semroc V-2 (camo) on a B6-4 - Nice flight. The RocketChutes camo 'chute is a plastic material and I really needed to unfurl it and repack it before the flight.
   
4. Semroc V-2 (White Sands Round #2) on a B6-4 - Nice flight with some wiggle. This version uses scale fins and needs a C6-5.
   
5. X-20 Dyna-Soar Carrier on a D12-5 - Totally unstable. I need to check the RockSim (again). I think I'll make new host rocket for the X-20 and add a conventional cone to this one.
   
6. 5th Generation on a D12-5 - Nice flight with a 'one point landing (see photo).
   
7. Estes GBU-24 Paveway III on a C6-5 - Good flight.
   
8. Quest Area 51 SPEV saucer on a C6-3 - OK flight with ejection on the ground.
   
9. Talk Radio on a C11-3 -Nice boost but I had another non-opening 'chute event. Core sample with no damage.
   
10. Model Minutes XFLR-7 on a C11-3 -This has become one of my favoritie rockets. Flies nicely with a visible slow spin and always gets nice comments.
    

March Madness mojo

I'm not much of a basketball fan but, if a team I have some association with gets into the NCAA tournament, I'll try to watch the games. That morning, I randomly grabbed a t-shirt since the weather was showing signs of getting to a comfortable range. I had thought I heard Maryland didn't make the tournament (see, not much of a fan) but later saw they were playing Cal in the first round. Although I was slightly conflicted, I still was happy to see Maryland win. Some time during the day, I noticed that I had grabbed a T from their 2002 win. Coincidence? Omen? Good mojo? I don't know, but I'm wearing the shirt again today. I hope to catch the end of today's game against Memphis after the launch.

Go Terps!

Apogalacticon, the newest enemy of the Fantastic Four or just another astronomical term?

R2K presents a table with a variety of terms for the maximum and minimum orbital distances of various astronomical bodies. For instance, apogalacticon is a star's farthest orbital point from its galaxy's center.

X-20 Dyna-Soar Carrier in RockSim9

As I was pulling my X-20 Dyna-Soar Carrier out for tomorrow's launch, I realized that I could refine the RockSim model by adding the X-20's winglets. Its maiden flight showed that something was amiss with the original sims. Since then I added some nose weight and will try again on a D12-5 this time. (Note the pair of Nike fins that are abutting the clear fins are not represented in the model. Not that anyone would notice.)

P.S. In the next upgrade, I'd love to see RockSim model offset transitions.

It's baaaaaaaaak (LAUNCH Magazine, that is)

Yesterday, someone on YORF noticed LAUNCH's subscription page is back, with magazine deliveries resumine in June. In January, they announced that they were experiencing financial difficulties and would be taking 'a hiatus'. The December issue experienced publishing problems but was eventually delivered.

While discussing LAUNCH, I might as well point out that Semroc will be producing a replica of the rocket in LAUNCH's logo - the LAUNCH Missile. The 1st 300 will be reserved for subscribers and all you need to do is provide your shipping addy. Once those are shipped, the kit will be available to everyone else. (The method of signing up is to log-on to your account and set your subscription status.)

Undersea eruption...simply awesome!

This is one of a series of photos of the undersea eruption off the coast of Tonga in the South Pacific. See The Big Picture for the whole set.

On 'backyard' technical education (and formal education too)

"True "Homeland Security" means letting our kids know they can, and must, experiment, discover, and, sometimes blow things up." - Dan Dubno

Think this sums up this article nicely and should be enough to tweak your interest. Hat tip to Bill Gurstelle (who has a short synopsis if you don't want to read the whole thing).

Joint statement on Judge Walton's decision

I guess this is pretty much what I knew, but it seems more depressing when embedded in a formal statement. That is, despite the initial elation, a final victory is far from a certainty. As expected, there has been tons of discussion on this subject since Judge Walton's ruling was released. There is not a consensus about whether there will be an appeal. I personally think there is no way BATFE can throw in the towel without admitting that they not only were wrong but knew it all along. And, I don't think that will happen. I had thought we'd have temporary relief while the appeal runs its course, however, it appears that isn't necessarily the case. My decision to celebrate with low power instead of trying to order HPR motors appears to be the right one. Before the ruling, I was just about ready to dump my HPR cases. I am at least optimistic enough to keep them for now, just in case. Luckily, aluminum doesn't rust.

JOINT TRA/NAR STATEMENT ON THE LAWSUIT VS BATFE

March 18, 2009

After a conference with our legal counsel, we provide the following information to our members on how to proceed in the aftermath of the favorable decision by Judge Walton in our lawsuit to eliminate the unjustified regulation of Ammonium Perchlorate Composite Propellant (APCP) imposed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE). We cannot offer legal advice to individual members, and members should consult their own legal counsel if there are any questions about how to proceed.

First, we should assume that the judge's decision "vacating", or rendering null and void, the BATFE regulation of APCP will not take effect until the period for appeal by the BATFE has passed without their filing an appeal. This will be approximately 60 days from now.However, even if an appeal is filed, it is possible for the Court's judgment to be in effect and BATFE regulation to be nullified while the appeal is pending. We will advise you if this is this is the case.

If BATFE should appeal the decision, regardless of the fact that there is almost no credible basis for such an appeal or for the appeal to be approved by the Department of Justice, we should await the results of the appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals before assuming that BATFE no longer regulates APCP in the long term. However, unless the appellate court grants the agency a "stay of judgment" (which they may request, should they appeal) final judgment will be considered in effect at the end of the 60 day period mentioned above. At that time, the Judge Walton's decision will take effect and could only be nullified by an overturn on appeal. Should the appellate court grant BATFE a stay of judgment, we will have to await the decision of the court before Judge Walton's decision would be considered final and in effect.
An appeal could take up to six months, and possibly more time. If there is no appeal, then the regulations are automatically cancelled even if BATFE chooses not to publish a notice of such cancellation.

We will keep our members advised of the status of any appeals and will let you know the exact official date on which the regulations are no longer in effect. After this official date, you will not be required to have BATFE licenses or be subject to BATFE inspection or oversight for sport rocketry operations with APCP in any quantity and should show a copy of the Court judgment to any BATFE agent who takes an opposite position.

Second, members should proceed for now on the basis that all these BATFE regulations remain in effect. Appropriate licenses are still required to buy, sell, possess, and/or store APCP until such time as the regulations are cancelled. If you have a license up for renewal between now and late May (or whatever later date may be determined by any BATFE appeal process), you will have to renew it if you wish to perform any of these transactions.
Third, once the regulations are canceled, members are reminded that high-power user certifications are still required for purchasing or using high-power motors even if BATFE licenses are not. We have a great reputation as a self-regulating group of responsible hobbyists and our future success in defending the freedom we just won back could depend on maintaining this reputation.

Fourth, this Court decision did not change the regulated status of other sport rocketry items such as black powder, some kinds of igniters, etc. To the extent that any of these items previously required licenses and magazine storage, nothing has changed. Nor does the decision affect licensing and regulation by other federal, state or local government agencies.

We thank our members for their continued patience and for their sustained moral and financial support as we have fought this long battle successfully together.


Ken Good, President
Tripoli Rocketry Association

Trip Barber, President
National Association of Rocketry

Animal astronauts - monkeys, dogs and now a bat

I had heard the report that a bat 'stowed away' on Discovery last Sunday, but hadn't seen the photos. Now that I have, I just had to post one. I doubt if he made it to space, but either way I'm afraid he gave his life for the program. (ABC News)

Robo-toro...olé!

Via Short Sharp Science.

Just foolin' with old videos

A couple of on-topic clips, taken at the War Eagles Air Museum in Santa Teresa, N.M.



And, some cute non-rocket chicks :)

Tax executive bonuses at uber-high rates? (update)

Hey! Wait! That was my idea! But then I guess nobody was listening. I won't try to add references but I've heard the administration is considering tax rates of between 90% and 100% on bonuses paid to execs of companies that accepted bailout cash. This was prompted by the news that AIG execs got something like $165M in bonuses after the bailout and 70 some odd of them got bonuses of over $1M. Many (most?) came from the division that sank them. Actually, I threw out the idea of a rate of over 100%. The devil is in the details with this idea, however. Unfortunately, there may actually be some people (in AIG or elsewhere) who deserved the pre-established bonus, i.e. their division did well while the rest sank.

Update: Well, while emotionally I may like to see this happen, I now feel there are convincing reasons why it wouldn't be a good idea. Oh well, back to rockets...

Quest kicks off parts sales

For as long as I remember (at least a long time), model rocketeers (at least a bunch of 'em) have been clamoring for Quest Aerospace to offer individual components. Their wish has been granted! (Or, click the 'Model Rocket Parts' link on their main page.)

I personally have wanted some tubing for the 35mm Nike Smoke fin cans that a rocket friend had given me. I've used a few by adapting them to larger tubes but can now get a perfect fit!

They also have a $300 design contest going but at this writing the link is broken (on the parts page). There is no deadline per se, the winners will be chosen twice a year.

NAR prez on Judge Walton's ruling

Fellow NAR Members --

As the result of nine years of hard work by our legal team and the teamwork and leadership of a series of key leaders of the NAR and TRA (especially former NAR President Mark Bundick), and as a result of your generous financial support for our cause, this case is now over. We have completely and unambiguously won.

The BATFE regulation of APCP was found by Judge Walton to be ".. arbitrary and capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with the law." and has been ordered by the Court to be "vacated" or canceled. Sounds good, doesn't it? The full text of the Court decision is provided below. Enjoy reading about how justice has been served and an arrogant and capricious federal agency has been defeated by two small all-volunteer organizations with sound "rocket science" on our side. We know that APCP is not a threat to national security, nor are we, and the court has agreed with us.

TRA President Ken Good and I will be consulting with our legal counsel over the next several days on exactly what we have to do next to ensure that BATFE complies with this order, and to determine what recourse they might try to pursue to continue this battle (i.e. by trying to redraft their rule) with what likelihood of success. They will not give up and will not go away easily. Please do not do anything confrontational with any BATFE agent, do not tear up your LEUP, and do not remove material from any magazines yet, until we know exactly where we stand legally. We will issue a joint statement on what is next and what you should do as soon as we sort it out; this may take a few days. I believe that we have enough in the Legal Fund to cover all the remaining close-out costs of this case.

Thanks for your patience and support while we fought this battle for you. And if you see Mark Bundick, shake his hand and thank him!

Trip Barber

NAR 4322

NAR President

Judge Walton rules in favor of the NAR/TRA!!!

W00t! I can hardly believe my ears. This is big enough that I'm re-posting info from the Rocketry Planet post. That post includes a .pdf of the ruling and undoubtedly a lot of opinion and analysis of what this will mean to us. I am so excited that I posted it before even digesting it myself.

Walton's order granted a summary judgment motion in favor of the plaintiffs TRA and NAR, denied the summary judgment motion of BATFE, and vacated the classification of Ammonium Perchlorate Composite Propellant (APCP) as an explosive.

There are two 'outs' for the BATFE in a footnote:

1 Should the defendant choose to reinstate the policy that ACPC is properly classifiable as an explosive within the meaning of 18 U.S.C. 841(d), nothing in this decision prevents it from redrafting the rule in accordance with the tenets of the APA or from seeking an explicit statutory classification from Congress.

I have no idea what the 'tenets of the APA' means but will find out. There's also still the problem with ignition and ejection to deal with. I'm sure the TRA and NAR are busy on their statement.

I also see one vendor is immediately taking orders. I for one will hopefully be able to celebrate by burning some Estes/Quest low- and mid-power motors this coming weekend! Power to the people!!!

ORDER

The plaintiffs filed this action nine years ago challenging the defendant's regulation as an explosive under 18 U.S.C. § 841(d) (2006) a chemical compound known as ammonium perchlorate composite propellant ("APCP"), which is commonly used in the motors of hobby rockets. After the Court ruled on the parties' initial cross-motions for summary judgment in this case, the plaintiffs appealed and the District of Columbia Circuit, reviewing the matter de novo, held that the defendant's classification of APCP as an explosive based on its determination that the substance functions by deflagration violated the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. § 706(2)(A) (2000), because the decision was arbitrary and capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with the law, Tripoli Rocketry Ass'n, Inc. v. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, 437 F.3d 75 (D.C. Cir. 2006). The Circuit Court therefore remanded the matter to this Court "with instructions to remand the case to the agency for further consideration consistent with [its] decision." Id. at 84. The remand was ordered because the Court found that "[t]he agency ha[d] never provided a clear and coherent explanation for its classification of APCP." Id. at 81. The Court further found that the agency "ha[d] never articulated the standards that guided its analysis" that would permit a court sitting in review to "determine whether [the defendant's] judgment reflect[ed] reasoned decisionmaking." Id.; see also April 20, 2006 Order. In its October 13, 2006 memorandum the agency informed the Court that it had complied with the Circuit's mandate and was affirming its earlier decision to classify APCP as an explosive. Defendant's Notice of Agency Decision (Oct. 13, 2006). The plaintiffs thereafter amended their complaint, the defendant filed its answer to the amended complaint, and both parties crossed-moved again for summary judgment on the certified administrative record.

The parties came before the Court on March 13, 2009, for a hearing on the parties' cross-motions for summary judgment. Upon consideration of the parties' written submissions, the administrative record presented to the Court, the applicable legal authority, the oral arguments presented by the parties, and for the reasons expressed by the Court at the hearing on the motion, the Court finds that the agency's decision does not satisfy the standard for evaluating agency rulemaking because it was arbitrary and capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with the law. 5 U.S.C. § 706(2)(A). Specifically, the defendant did not adequately explain why it came to the decision it did in light of contrary evidence in the administrative record submitted by the plaintiffs, which tended to show that APCP can burn at a rate lower than that which the defendant designated as the threshold, and "which, if true, . . . would require a change in [the] proposed rule.'" La. Fed. Land Bank Ass'n, FLCA v. Farm Credit Admin., 336 F.3d 1075, 1080 (D.C. Cir. 2003); see D&F Afonso Realty Trust v. Garvey, 216 F.3d 1191, 1195 (D.C. Cir. 2000) (quoting Public Citizen, Inc. v. F.A.A., 988 F.2d 186, 197 (D.C. Cir. 1993) ("'[t]he requirement that agency action not be arbitrary or capricious includes a requirement that the agency adequately explain its result . . . .'"). Here, the agency's shortcoming was its failure to articulate any rationale for finding that the relevant and significant evidence in the record that conflicted with its position was unpersuasive, which it seemingly out-of-hand dismissed merely because it was contrary to the agency's ultimate conclusion.

As to the appropriate remedy to impose for the agency's failing, the Court has discretion to choose between vacatur of the agency's decision or remand to the agency without vacatur. See Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety v. Fed. Motor Carrier Safety Admin., 429 F.3d 1136, 1151 (D.C. Cir. 2005) (quoting Allied-Signal, Inc. v. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comm'n, 988 F.2d 146, 150-51 (D.C. Cir.1993) ("[T]his court is not without discretion. 'The decision whether to vacate depends on the seriousness of the order's deficiency . . . and the disruptive consequences of an interim change that may itself be changed.'"). Considering the number of years that have elapsed during which time the plaintiffs have awaited final resolution of the merits of their claims, the fact that this matter has already been remanded once to the agency for further action consistent with the Circuit's decision, and it appearing that vacating the agency's decision will not pose any serious threat to the public's health or safety, the Court will vacate the agency's decision to classify APCP is an explosive pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 841(d). Because the plaintiffs have conceded that were the Court to grant summary judgment in their favor on Count One of their third amended complaint "will moot all of remaining counts" of their complaint, Plaintiffs' Memorandum of Points and Authorities in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment on Count 1 at 1-2 n.1, the Court having now granted summary judgment on Count One will dismiss all the plaintiffs' remaining counts of the complaint as moot.

Accordingly, it is hereby

ORDERED that the plaintiffs' motion for summary judgment is GRANTED. It is further
ORDERED that the defendant's motion for summary judgment is DENIED. It is further
ORDERED that the defendant's decision to classify APCP as an explosive under 18 U.S.C. § 841(d) is VACATED. It is further
ORDERED that the remaining counts of plaintiffs' third amended complaint are DISMISSED as moot and therefore this case is dismissed in its entirety.
SO ORDERED this 16th day of March, 2009.

_________/s/______________
REGGIE B. WALTON
United States District Judge

A rocket collapse

Dwayne Day has a short article on the failed launch of an Atlas/Agena-D in today's Space Review - Not a bang, but a whimper. What I want to know is, does this qualify as a CATO? LOL (rhetorical question)

Dang, I missed the STS-119 webcast

I waited, and waited, and watched the time...and got sidetracked. The good news is Discovery is up safely.

Flour rockets - no leavening required

When the folks over at Air Command heard about flour rockets, they just had to give them a try. The following video documents several successful flights.


Flour Rockets from AirCommand on Vimeo.

Report from LDRS....6

ZZakk's Lab has an interesting report from LDRS 6, which was held at Hartsell, Colorado in 1987. Dig them shades!

Light-bending nano-cups may make cloaking a reality

The ACS Journal NANO Letters has a paper written by Nikolay A. Mirin and Professor Naomi J. Halas of the Department of Chemistry, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and the Laboratory for Nanophotonics at Rice University. The full article requires a subscription but here's the abstract:

Metallic nanostructures with their geometry-dependent optical resonances are a topic of intense current interest due to their ability to manipulate light in ways not possible with conventional optical materials. A particularly fascinating aspect of these systems is the recently realized possibility of creating optical frequency “magnetic plasmon” responses of comparable magnitude to the “electric plasmon” response. Here we show that Au nanocups at their magnetoinductive resonance have the unique ability to redirect scattered light in a direction dependent on cup orientation, as a true three-dimensional nanoantenna.

I saw this this morning via a web alert and remembered a post in my reader. Glad I did because The Next Big Future has a lot more details.

Mirin was quoted to say, "Ideally, one should see exactly what is behind an object." While a cloaking device may be interesting, it may not be the best application for these 'nanoantennae'. They also can be applied to spectroscopy ans super lenses. For example you could have solar panels track the sun without moving.

P.S. I don't know about you, but I had no idea what a plasmon was. I don't remember learning about them in introductory quantum electronics.

Latest Joint Statement on the NAR/TRA Litigation with the BATFE

Joint Statement on the NAR/TRA Litigation with the Federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms & Explosives (BATFE)

March 13, 2009

Today Judge Reggie Walton, presiding in our case before the US District Court, heard arguments from both legal counsel for NAR/TRA and the BATFE. At the conclusion of the hearing, Judge Walton stated that he was inclined to agree with our position. While this is extremely encouraging, there will be no formal written ruling until April, and BATFE may attempt to file additional information before that date. We expect that this ruling will provide some form of relief from the current regulatory situation.

We thank our members for their continued patience and their generous financial support. We will provide members with immediate status reports as this case reaches its conclusion.

Ken Good
TRA President

Trip Barber
NAR President

Now you CAN say your rocket is built like a tank!

Here's the announcement from Always Ready Rocketry (ARR):

In conjunction with Phenix Tube, ARR is proud to announce Blue Tube, a new airframe material borne from the most unusual source, TANK AMMUNITION!

Highly abrasion resistant, with massive acceleration potential for a spiral wound product. Able to withstand g-forces that exceed 10x anything any high power rocket flight can present to it. No glassing necessary, no huge gaps to fill, no prepping, no sanding, no nothing, and most of all, COMPATIBLE with existing components!

Claims backed-up by test data by Drake Damerau and www.rocketmaterials.org.

ISS evacuation

I see that the ISS crew was temporarily evacuated to the Russian Soyuz capsule today. A 5-inch * piece of space junk was expected to pass within the 2.8 mile 'danger box' around the station. Normally, the ISS's orbit is adjusted to avoid objects but in this case there wasn't enough advance warning. NASA scientist Mark Matney noted that such a collision "will wreck your whole day." (see the full AP article on Yahoo News)

Someone better get crackin' on that orbital super-soaker.

* Update, updated: National Geographic says the junk was comprised of 0.3-inch (0.9-centimeter) pieces from a booster motor cataloged as Object 25090 PAM-D. NASA's site confirms the size to be 5" (13cm).

The new killer app: the rocket-powered 'super soaker' (?)

The Wall Street Journal has an article that outlines various proposals for cleaning up the growing quantity of space junk that is building up over our heads - A Cosmic Question: How to Get Rid Of All That Orbiting Space Junk? These ideas include ground-based lasers and garbage collecting satellites that would grab, snag or vacuum up the stuff. The most interesting is one proposed by aerospace engineer Jim Hollopeter. His idea is to load old rockets with water and spray down the orbiting junk. Maybe another niche for the growing new-space industry? What could be better than new-space cleaning up the old?

More hybrid rocket car coverage

Here's a video for a YouTube user appropriately named laffingastv. He/she has a bunch of videos including a somewhat wimpy 1/4-mile run. Hat tip to Chuck_Rudy on Rocketry Planet.



Chuck posted this vid after a post regarding the Bloodhound SSC (this link is to a new article that may have more details than the one I previously summarized/pointed to).

Videos and models of the unexpected Iridium-Cosmos meeting

Analytical Graphics has a new web page about the Iridium 33 and Cosmos 2251 Satellite Collision. It feature a really cool (but big) animations and computer models of the the collision. There are some still images, but they aren't nearly as good as the videos.

Return of EMRR-on-CD

Nick just announced that EMRR-on-CD is back, and is now on DVD. For ten bucks, you can now carry around:

• 3,448 Reviews/Articles from 830 Authors
• 29,660 Flight Logs
• 2,064 RockSim Files
• 1,653 CP Listings
• 3,330 Recommended Motors
• 2,537 Opinions
• 404 Stories
• 429 Hints/Tips
• 819 Rocket Specific Tips
• 894 Glossary Terms
• 144 Who's Who Profiles

Retro rocket car: Opel RAK 2

Here's a photo of the Opel Rak 2's 24 rockets, which held a combined 265 lbs of propellant. This car was developed in the late 30's, well in advance of the infamous V2. Hemming's Auto Blog has a nice article on the Opel rocket cars, including more photos. Astronautix also presents a timeline of Opel's rocket car development.

Flight of the 2.6x Estes C6

Earlier, I posted a photo of Sasha Grant's 2.6x upscale of an Estes C6 motor. Sascha now has flown it...and has the proof -->

Sport Rocketry, March/April 2009

Just got the new issue and am a little disappointed. Not due to the quality of the articles but their subjects just didn't excite me. Hopefully, this curmudgeonly post will be taken with a grain of salt. Rats, this is the 2nd issue in a row that I've felt this way about.

The first feature is a detailed article on a Level-3 rocket build. I'm sad to note that high power has been beat out of me. I do like ogling rockets first hand and watching the launches but I really don't much care what's under the hood.

There's a short piece on a launch commemorating the 40th anniversary of Apollo 8. Well, there are a few nice photos here.

Next up is an article on piston launchers. I have never used one and have no plans to do so.

Master modeler Ed Miller has another detailed article on how he gets his phenomenal finishes. That's all well and good but I already know more about finishing than I need to. That is, I'm lazy, cheap and don't apply what I already know.

Rick Boyette writes about his 'quasi-glassing' process, which replaces fiberglass cloth and epoxy with pantyhose and Minwax Polycrylic. I've used this a couple of three times and it is a useful alternative to glassing. Still, I haven't and probably won't use it often. One unmentioned benefit is the resulting tube is very water resistant. One of mine went swimming and the tube showed no ill effects. Not so the motor mount. I also learned about a product called drain sleeve that might substitute for fiberglass socks. I'll have to research this more.

Crap, I almost became positive.

There's an ad for NARAM-51 and an article about the operation of the NAR. Yawn.

Your mileage may vary and my opinion might mellow.

New propellant - flour and compressed air

A discussion on the water-rockets Yahoo group asked if talcum powder could be used in lieu of water in a water rocket. (Yeah, I know, it wouldn't be a water rocket.) One respondent came up with a link to a Thai site that presents several videos of a flour rocket. [raw link] [translated (as if it makes much of a difference)] I wouldn't have thought it would have worked that well. Here's another related link from that site [translated].

Saturn Orion project idea

I think I have the motivation for my next build. I downloaded the .pdfs from my previous post and they include a lot of info on the Saturn V Orion booster. More than I need...I only looked at the diagrams. There are a lot of variants of both the booster and the Orion payload and, since I'm not a stickler when it comes to scale, I have plenty of material. Methinks a Dr. Zooch Saturn V is in my future. The as-launched configuration has the Orion buried under a shroud, but I'd be more interested in a flying version with it exposed.

Saturn Orion references

This is Rocket Science has some interesting Project Orion images, including the modified Saturn booster. I really wanted to post one for my future reference, but am trying to be better about snatching copyrighted images. Request is yet unanswered.

This page also has some renderings and includes a lot of Project Orion references, including many from the NASA Tech Reports Server. I decided to grab the references in case the site goes away.

• Pulsed Fission Propulsion Concept
  http://mix.msfc.nasa.gov/IMAGES/MEDIUM/9906395.jpg
  http://mix.msfc.nasa.gov/IMAGES/HIGH/9906395.jpg
  Marshall Space Flight Center, 1999.
  
• Preliminary Performance Study, Nuclear Pulse Propelled Vehicle
  Whiton, J. C., NASA Center for AeroSpace Information (CASI), NASA-CR-60666, 19630101, Jan. 1, 1963.
• Nuclear Pulse Vehicle Study Condensed Summary Report
  
  NASA Center for AeroSpace Information (CASI), NASA-CR-67367, GA-4891, 19650101, Jan. 1, 1965.
  
• Nuclear Pulse Space Vehicle Study. Volume I - Summary
  Nance, J. C., NASA Center for AeroSpace Information (CASI)
  NASA-CR-60655; GA-5009, Vol. I , 19640919; Sep 19, 1964.
• Nuclear Pulse Space Vehicle Study. Volume 3: Conceptual Vehicle Designs and Operational Systems
  Shipps, P. R., NASA Center for AeroSpace Information (CASI), NASA-CR-60653, GA-5009-VOL-3 , 19640919; Sep 19, 1964.
• Nuclear Pulse Space Vehicle Study. Volume IV - Mission Velocity Requirements and System Comparisons
  Ehricke, K. A., NASA Center for AeroSpace Information (CASI),
  NASA-CR-74389; GA-5009, VOL. IV , 19660228; Feb 28, 1966.
  
• Nuclear Pulse Space Vehicle Study. Volume IV - Mission Velocity Requirements and System Comparisons /Supplement/
  NASA Center for AeroSpace Information (CASI) NASA-CR-74388; GA-5009, VOL. IV, SUPPL. , 19660228; Feb 28, 1966.
  
• Nuclear Pulsed Space Propulsion Systems
  LA-4541-MS, Los Alamos, Balcomb, J.D, et al., October, 1970.

Document sources:

• Index to documents from the NASA Technical Reports Server: Nuclear Propulsion and Reactors, hosted by klabs.org, the NASA Office of Logic Design.
• NASA Technical Reports Server search
  • NASA Johnson Technical Reports Server
  • Marshall Technical Reports Server
• National Technical Information Service (NTIS) search
• http://www.apolloarchive.com/

Astronomy geek humor

I don't know about you, but I laughed my a$$ off. Via Bad Astronomy via someone else:

Emboldened by their success in declaring Pluto not a planet, the International Astronomical Union determined this week by a close vote that February is too short to be considered a true month. It has, however, been granted the newly created status of “dwarf month.” It shares this dubious distinction with several other calendar time spans, including Labor Day Weekend, Christmas Vacation, and the Time Between When You Were Supposed to Get Your Oil Changed and When You Actually Did.

“It only seems fair,” said IAU President Ron Eckers. “February reaches a peak size of 29 days, averaging only 28 days for 75 percent of the time. Recent research has shown that other periods, such as the Time Between When You Were Supposed to Get Your Oil Changed and When You Actually Did, often exceed this meager time frame. In fact, this erratic behavior only strengthens our case that February does not belong in the same classification as the eleven ‘true’ months.”

Eckers also warned that the crop of 30-day “so-called” months should be careful to maintain their number of days. “They’re already cutting it pretty close in my book.”

But whos's watching the Watchmen?

Well, it had to happen...I'm posting about the movie Watchmen. So, the obvious answer to the post title is me. And judging from the Friday morning crowd, a lot of others are also.

I wasn't very familiar with the story line or characters, having just seen the trailer and read one Wikipedia article. The movie isn't your typical X-Men, Superman, or Batman story. Based on Alan Moore's hit graphic novel by the same name, it is set in a dystopian (ooh, I like that word) mid-80's America, the heroes are darker than the darkest Dark Knight. Tricky Dick somehow stayed in office, the Doomsday Clock is five (...tick...four) minutes to midnight, and superheroes exist. There are anti-heroes, a big conspiracy, great fight scenes, CGI action, and some blood-and-guts. It is a dark movie, but so is the story. The ending is even darker.

I have to say I enjoyed the film but didn't find it a must see. For me it fell somewhere between Iron Man and the original Hulk film. I've seen mixed reviews from fan-boys (and girls?) of the graphic novel. Some say you won't appreciate the film without reading the novel and others were disappointed by the inevitable deviations from the written story. I think I lean toward the prior point of view. Not that I couldn't follow the flashbacks that filled in the back-story, but I couldn't help thinking there was more to the characters and the alternate history than I picked up on. I think I may like Watchmen all the more when I see it again. (On cable, I won't pay for another ticket.)

Like I said, at 163 minutes the movie was fairly long. Possibly one of the most positive things I can say is it kept my full attention all the way through.

Offical Warner Bros. site
IMDb
IO9 - Everything You Need to Know About Watchmen
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus: Watch Watchmen, But Caveat Emptor

Cosmic motors - concept art that should be able to fly

DRB is Featuring the Cosmic Motors Concept Art by one Daniel Simon. That link is actually to DRB's post - you can find Daniel's sites here and here. Although much of his concepts actually have wheels, they all see to fit well into the worlds of spaceships, starships, and rockets...and so they belong here. I read Daniel's terms of use and decided I can take liberties since this is for my personal, non-commercial use. However, I'll get the Carl "the 500 lb gorilla" so send some his buddies over to visit if you use these images without following these terms.

So, how sexy is this?

When space had gone to the dogs

R2K's post about the Soviet dog flights to space prompted me to add a label on Space: Animal Explorers. I have made several posts on Laika - the dog, the book, and the monument. Woof, woof!

Rocket Girls #63 - Nuttin' but AIM-9 Sidewinders

You may have to expand the image, but there's Sidewinder in there:

And in there:


A on-theme repeat post from the US Army Korea IMCOM.

No rocket girl, but still some of my favorites. Think these were Photoshopped?

Mother Ship, adjusted

I updated the turbo-jets after I saw Craig McGraw's Cormes Protectorate Drakken Defender. I tried swiping (copying) the turbos from Craig's design, but they broke my sim. So, I settled for adjustments to the size of the existing components and some added ribs.

Apogee Rocketry Workshop Video #4: How To Mount An Altimeter In A Small Model Rocket

One-pulse Orion

In a new series of posts, Next Big Future analyzes the feasibility of a nuclear cannon (one-shot Orion) for inexpensive access to space. I'll merely point you to his Project Orion label. If you look at this writing, it will be the top two posts; if you look later, there may be additional good posts that you'll just have to suffer though :)

Congrats to Verna and Randy on their 5th anniversary

Not their 5th together, just their 5th online. Drop by for some Fire and Smoke...photos of their fleet, and launch reports...and the rocketgirl is just a bonus ;)

Brinley's "Rocket Manual for Amateurs" - online

Via Rocketry Planet. Thanks, Darrell!

Robo-Tonka trucks

The Spaceports blog reports on a plan to use robotic Earth-movers regolith-movers to build lunar landing pads. The 'robo-Tonka trucks' were proposed by Astrobotic Technology and Carnegie Mellon University at last Friday's NASA Lunar Surface Systems Conference. You can get the presentation here.

The Mothership refitted with turbojets

I think I figured out the reason some of my RockSim9 sims won't run. I often add complicated pods on pods on pods. I then copy the top level pod to the flip side of the rocket and adjust all the radial distances and angles until they match. I did this when adding the turbojets to the Mothership. Along the way, I re-ran the sims so I'd know what broke the sim. Well, that was it. When I copied the turbojet assembly over the sim stopped running. I backed the copy out and added the mounting strut manually. I then copied the engine components over. Voila, it works!

new spaced-out magazine launching soon - UniGalactic

Via a post on Rocketry Planet:

UniGalactic is an online Space Travel Magazine with one simple mission - research and deliver (in either electronic or paper format) Space Travel relevant content to our subscribers.

UniGalactic Space Travel Magazine will be launched in 2009 with the first issue publishing on May 29, 2009. You will find articles on a variety of topics including but not limited to SpaceX's and Virgin Galactic's space tourism developments, international space station, Mars missions, future space launches, as well as outer space news.

There has been an enormous progress in the Space Exploration Industry over the last 40-50 years and we feel that the space technology is at a breaking point to allow travelers to launch into space. Therefore, we believe that it is our responsibility to educate our readers about the Space Travel research and development happening in the United States and other countries. We truly hope that you will enjoy reading news on our web site and will become a loyal subscriber to our UniGalactic Space Travel Magazine. We are committed to making it a great and fun experience for our readers. Thank you.

Web Site: http://www.unigalactic.com

The magazine is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com
Be the first one to experience UniGalactic Space Travel Magazine! No delays, no printing issues. It arrives at your door steps ON TIME!

amazon.com

I wish them (whoever that is) luck but it will be an uphill battle. LAUNCH is having financial problems, Space Lifestyle is free, market is limited, yadda, yadda, yadda.