5-year motor usage stats

Just for grins, I fiddled with some stats. (The stats are from EMRR, I just fiddled to display them here.)

2009 2008 2007 2006 2005	4 3 8			22 1 2 16	4 12 7 6 2	9 44 17 6 15	13 35 12 16 47	8 22 13 16 15	4 10 4 11 16	7 21 11 12 14	2 1 12	1 3	3	1			2
Mtr:	MMX	1/4A	1/2A	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M+	unkn

"Transferring launch control to Viper Pilots; launch when ready"

Randy and Verna's photo of the month documents the latest sortie by their Red Squadron of Battlestar Galactica Vipers. (Photo credit: George Gassaway)

Hobby pulsejets

Check out this pulsejet-powered Long-EZ R/C plane...and make sure yer volume is ON!



Now, if I lost my mind and decided to divert money from rocketry, I'd probably want one of these (eventually). Let's see. About $300 for one of these pulse jets or $2k-$3k for a turbine...

More pulsejet links from Rocketry Planet:

Well, here's a quick link to something I saw awhile back... OL JR

http://www.beck-technologies.com/hobbyengines.html
http://www.aardvark.co.nz/pjet/
http://jetzilla.com/
http://www.pulse-jets.com/
http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass/pop-pop/

Powerful, gas-powered vortex cannon

I had previously posted about a huge, manual vortex cannon capable of blowing out candles at 180'. Impressive, but not as impressive as the gas-powered version shown in the attached video. Watch the 200 mph vortex ring knock down huts made of straw, sticks, and bricks.

Watch dem asteroids

NASA JPL has started a new website dedicated to asteroids, especially those that could hit Earth - Asteroid Watch.

Another 'concept vehicle' gallery

Here is an interesting, hypothetical tail-sitting aircraft from cutangus' 3-D gallery. I like gawking at these things and have really been liking the Concept Ships blog. I wonder if these may have been featured there?

Model jet car

MAKE posts about this cool RC jet car.

The folks at Hobby Media sent us this item:

V8 Supercar driver Rick Kelly is a R/C model cars fan and he recently built the Red Bull Mojet T40, a 1:10 scale replica of the Thrust SSC machine that set the World Land Speed Record on 15 October 1997.

This R/C car is powered by two jet engines, and in May, Rick tried, without success, to break the world land speed record for a remote control car currently held by Nic Case.

Red Bull Xbox 360 Mojet T40

Whaaaazzzup in the Dungeon?

Still contemplating a source of cheap clear square tubing the the MLAS extended fin set. I've been diverted by non-rocketry stuff and building a beta kit from First Flight Hobbies. Sworn to secrecy but I will say it's a sleek looking small LPR bird. First Flight had previously released the limited edition Corn-Roc.

If I have no actual rockets to post about, it must be time for Rocket Girls #78

Click to see more from the photographers...

Setting up the M.A.G.P.I.E.



Everyone loves the Tin Tin Rocket.



Hmmm, Leia leads to Han Solo leads to the Millennium Falcon...close enough! I wonder if my wife would let me keep one of these in the Dungeon? I could train her to sand ;)

Total repair bill? less than $5

George Katz made the following, highly entertaining music video of his Acceleron Vb water rocket CATOing. It includes full speed, slow motion, shrapnel identification, on-board, and forensic footage. You may read the full report of this event and his other flights here. That video was well worth the $5 loss :) (I admit I'm a tad jealous.)

Unreasonable death of a camera (update)

From Paul Breed. Mmmmm, toasty!



Update from Paul.

SS2S success

Richard Nakka reports the successful static firing of a 2-phase test motor (aka the
MiniSShot Mark III):

Gluing real rockets together

Clark Lindsey points to a NewScientist article about Burt Rutan's patented method for saving weight in the SS2 by gluing the fuel tanks into the airframe. Who else think this makes sense and is cool?

Launch Report 2009-5

Location: Central Sod Farm, Centreville, MD (MDRA ESL-134)
Weather: high 80's to low 90's, clear, 10+ mph winds
Total flights: Today - 8; YTD - 41
Total motors: Today - 8; YTD - 48

The day started poorly with lower gas prices and hot weather leading to a long backup at the Bay Bridge (beach traffic). Nevertheless, I got there a tad early...and found no sign of the launch equipment. I ate my sandwich and, when the equipment showed, I helped set up. By the time the launch started, it was hot and had gotten quite windy. It stayed that way all day.

On an up note, I parked by Don, Mikey, and Paul. Don even came bearing gifts - a couple of small nose-cone-like objects and some 5" pipe holders suitable for making a rocket rack :)

My flights today:

1. 12" Aeroshell on a G74-P - CATO! You can see the before, during and after in the slide show below.
2. Whirlygig-24 with shortened body tube on an E9-4 - I wanted to drag race this against the following rocket to compare altitude performance. However, an equipment malfunction caused it to race an unknown rocket. It flew well despite the stiff wind, with only a very slight weathercock.
   
3. Whirlygig-24 with shortened body tube and modified fins on an E9-4 - This version turned sideways facing with the wind direction and had little upward progress. It seemed to autorotate well during recovery. It looked like it did so nose up instead of flipped over.
   
4. Landshark 2.0 on a G67G-6 - Nice flight. People still think this looks like a Batman vehicle. I should probably rename it.
   
5. BNC-R1.5 on an F39-6 - Nice fast boost. It lost a fin but not on landing. I couldn't find it but it showed up on my chair later.
   
6. D-Fusion Bomb, Block 2 on an E15-4 - This rocket now has a fin unit attached. Lots of weather cocking but a nice flight anyway. It landed near the pads.
   
7. Stink Bomb on an Estes C6-3 - Last week, this rocket core sampled, destroying the cone. I kludged up a replacement and dug up a recycled component to plug the base of the tube. I'm also using an Estes motor vs. the 'long burn' Quest C6. I extended the igniter outside of the tube plug using some scrap wire. The flight was great. You can see a lousy video on OurPlanet and a couple of screen snaps in the slide show.
   
8. Quest DC-Y Space Clipper on a D24-4 - Perfectly straight, fast boost. Ejection was late but recovery was good.

P.S. The traffic on the way home helped to make up for the trip over - no Beltway backups.



Find more photos like this on Our Planet

18mm RMS dilemma solved

This photo shows my modified delay charge holder. Instead of the stock cap, that won't fit through my rocket's motor retention components, I made one from a piece of MicroMaxx tubing. I built-up the tube with masking tape so that it's snug in the ejection well. Insert powder, plug with wadding, and seal with tape. Done. Not certified? No problem at at MDRA.

Apollo 11 astronaut's customs declaration

Res Communis posts about Apollo 11's customs form (see image). I guess I won't gripe about having to fill mine out next time. Hmmm, I thought you had to declare values on these forms :)

I hate it when the motor won't fit

Crap. I had planned to fly my Quest DC-Y Space Clipper on an 18mm reload. The engine hook and block think differently. No time for surgery...gotta find something else to fly the assembled load on.

Port-o-Potty missiles

Text via Wired's Danger Room, photo credit: Raytheon.

Missiles in a Box is a collaboration between Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, doesn’t look like much. Popular Mechanics compared the 1.5-ton launcher to a “Port-O-Potty-size crate.” The individual missiles are packed 15-to-a-box and can be left lying around on the ground, carted around on flat-bed trucks or even installed on the Navy’s shore-hugging Littoral Combat Ships.

What I thought when I saw the photo was, "where's Hickok"?

8" MLAS construction notes, part 4

Since the last update I drilled the rear CR for the four 24mm mounts, drilled the rear CR's for motor retention and an eyebolt, found misc tubing suitable for the ejection piston and started filling spirals on the lower body. Where this leaves me is needing to finalize the fin extensions. I figured out what I thought would be a good source for square clear plastic tubing - old style towel holders. I say old because it appears these aren't in style and are not available. I even checked the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store. Actually, even if they were available, I'd have to buy the whole rack. These are not expensive when you think about a bathroom upgrade but are a fortune when you're building an el-cheapo rocket. So, it's back to the drawing board (or the junk pile, as the case may be). I really miss Reed Plastics and their leftovers pile.

Update: McMaster of course has suitable stuff...around $25 + tax, title, and license. I'll continue scrounging.

Aurora Flight Sciences

Besides hosting the Old Rocketeer's Reunion during NARAM-50, Aurora Flight Sciences designs and builds cool flying things. Wired's Danger Room discusses the flight test of their prototype Excalibur VTOL UAV:



In a previous post, they link to a video of another cool concept vehicle - their Odysseus. This oddball is actually three vehicles that would take off separately and dock together...and then stay up for 5 years.

Sweet Rocket History

IEEE Spectrum presents a podcast on the Von Braun Group, entitled Sweet Rocket History. Here's the description:

They call it rocket science, but at it’s birth it was really rocket play: teenaged boys, getting together to make things soar high into the air. Originating with student rockets clubs that had sprung up throughout Germany in the 1920s, Werner von Braun’s famed research team produced the world’s first real military rockets, for Hitler, and then the Redstone and Saturn rockets that took Americans into space and to the Moon.

Von Braun’s group relocated to Huntsville, Alabama, after World War II. Spectrum’s Bill Sweet visited there to explore how the tradition of rocket amateurism continues.

Who let the Armadillo out? Who? Who?

Well, Armadillo Aerospace themselves, of course. Clark Lindsey points to a video of last Saturday's untethered free flight of their Methane/LOX-powered lander. The video itself isn't that exciting since it is taken from so far away. What's cool, however, is what it means for this year's Lunar Lander Challenge :)

"The Summer of Hell" in Texas

When I saw this photo on Frankensteam's Log, I was sure it was photoshopped. The blogger promised it wasn't but I still didn't believe him/her. The NOAA GOES web addy, date, and time were conveniently logged on the image, so I checked for myself. Sure enough, there is the weather demon blowing its hot, dry breath across Texas. Click the image and look at the western tip of the state.

Missing Stink Bomb photo

I guess if I forgot it, I can't expect anyone else to miss it...

Touchdown

The Eagle has had landed!!!

LAUNCH Magazine won't return to print

Sadly, their efforts to rise from the grave have been staked by the economy. You can read the official statement on their site.

Ancient rockets, revisited (again)

Erik Gates reports on another show that he has helped out with. He just returned from a photo shoot at Lucerne for an episode of R. Lee “Gunny” Ermey's new series Lock N’ Load.

In the 3 days we launched 5 ancient Chinese bamboo rockets and 2 sets of 200 rocket arrow Hwachas from the 1400-1600’s. We also built and launched 5 each of the Congreve Centre Stick, and Hale rockets from the 1800’s. Wind, 110 degree weather and occasional showers hampered us, but we managed to get all rockets fired with varying degrees of success.

The arrows were Estes D12-7
Chinese - Pro38 3G Skid
Congreve - Kosdon Dirty Harry and Slow 75mm grains
Hale - AT White Lighting 75mm grains

The series premieres Friday, July 31 at 9pm ET on HISTORY™

The Mythbusters have previously explored Hwachas and Hale's rocket was previously tested on Weapons Masters, where they enlisted MDRA members to build the models. You can read my recap here and my earlier post on Hale and his rocket.

(I didn't know how to tag this one. Most rocketry content in TV shows ends up being classified as 'stunts' yet the subject matter here is history. Since my goal in tagging is to help find material and not to pass judgment, I just applied both.)

Plane Crazy in Mojave

The Mojave Air and Space Port celebrated Apollo 11 this weekend also. Mojave Skies reports XCOR has their Rocket Racer and the original EZ-Rocket, Masten displayed their Zombie lander, and the Mojave Desert Advanced Rocket Society (MDARS) had a bunch of sport rockets on display. Follow the link for the photos. That big rocket looks cool.

Moonfest at Moffett Field

Steve Jurvetson reports from Moonfest with a photo of one of his flights. He says 1,500 spectators attended. There was, of course, a lot more than rocketry going on. But, nothing better.



Flickr user LauraAtkins has a gallery from the event. Here's a line of Saturn V's ready to go. I hope they had better luck than the ones flown this weekend at Great meadow.

Boring progress update

• I cut the motor tube for the 8" MLAS. Wow.
• The replacement cone for the Stink Bomb is installed. It looks even goofier now. I scrounged a suitable plug for the base of the launch tube and packed an extension wire for the igniter. I attached a screen snap from the video of yesterday's flight.
• I installed the nose weight back in the D-Fusion Bomb, Block 2. It too is ready for ESL-134.
  
• I modeled the Quest DC-Y Space Clipper in RockSim to get and idea of the delay required for a D24 flight. The answer appears to be 4 seconds.
• Th, th, that's all folks...
  

Really good Saturn V article

Via Jerry Irvine on Rocketry Planet: 'One small step for man,' one massive rocket project for engineers, LA Times, July 18, 2009.

The young scientists who created the Saturn V rocket that powered Aldrin and Armstrong to the moon on Apollo 11 in July 1969 were the unsung heroes in the space race with the Soviet Union.

Amateur Space Access Timeline

Creamy Robot Goodness presents the following Amateur Space Access timeline. I won't offer any opinions except to say all the items are of interest and/or importance to rocketry enthusiasts.

Launch Report 2009-4

Location: Great Meadow, The Plains, VA (NOVAAR)
Weather: Min 70's to 80's, wind 5 - 10 mph
Total flights: Today - 9; YTD - 33
Total motors: Today - 11; YTD - 40

This was a great day, although a little windy. Saw several friends, including Skycopp. Rocket Jones and Maelstrom were missing or hiding.

My Flights:

1. AquaBottleBat on an F35-4 - Good flight, ejection was a tad late.
   
2. Semroc V2 (camo) on a B6-4 - Nice flight. Popped a fin but it is already repaired.
   
3. Lime Stiletto on an E9-6 - Good flight also. I angled it into the wind a lot to make sure it stayed on the field.
   
4. Stink Bomb on a C6-3 - Ugly rocket. Neat tube-launched flight. Even though the boost was wobbly and it lawn darted. I'll replace the nose and try again. Next time I want to plug the bottom of the launch tube. (video)
   
5. Hat of Death on an F24-P - A crowd pleaser as usual. The RSO didn't know what to think. "What does it do? Has it flown before? Has it flown on this motor?"
   
6. eX-20 Carrier on a C11-3 - Nice flight.
   
7. Semroc LAUNCH Missile on a B6-4 - Nice flight.
8. Steve's X-Wing on a D12-7 and two D11-Ps - Cool flight. Almost went into the trees (photo included below).
   
9. Art Applewhite 12" Texas Special Saucer on an AT I49-P - A 7-second burn will put a smile on your face every time :-D The only snag is the grain has to be epoxied to the liner. Luckily, I had some epoxy in the ol' range box. FAIW, NARpres pushed the launch button. (see a poor video)
   

My photos:


Find more photos like this on Our Planet

Hmmm, tempting

Cardboardsafari.com is offering a retro sci-fi cardboard Astro Rocket. Laser cut components, 9" W x 21" H. A couple of tubes and some paper skin and you'd have a nice, fat, light rocket.

Rocket Girls #77

Rocket girls seem to have been reasonably well represented at LDRS-28. A sampling via Liberty Launch Systems:

• http://images.rocketsmagazine.com/Library1/LDRS28/2009-07-03-Friday/neilmcgilvray/d70/800Thumbs/DSC_8074.jpg
• http://images.rocketsmagazine.com/Library1/LDRS28/2009-07-03-Friday/ToddHaring/800Thumbs/DSC_2440.jpg
• http://images.rocketsmagazine.com/Library1/LDRS28/2009-07-03-Friday/ToddHaring/800Thumbs/DSC_2754.jpg
• http://images.rocketsmagazine.com/Library1/LDRS28/2009-07-03-Friday/neilmcgilvray/d300-1/800Thumbs/_LLS6591.jpg
• http://images.rocketsmagazine.com/Library1/LDRS28/2009-07-03-Friday/neilmcgilvray/d300-1/800Thumbs/_LLS6813.jpg

Celebrating Apollo 11 (via OObject)?


Canadian Astronaut Julie Payette just launched aboard Endeavour.


And, a Flickr hodgepodge. The last one is an excited SpaceX employee. Launches are exciting.

Quote of the day

From Mark Whittington regarding comments from Norman Augustine, who is leading the commission that is reviewing NASA's exploration plans.

He means to say things like going back to the Moon cost what they cost, not what some people wish they would cost.

8" MLAS construction notes, part 3

Since my last post, I finalized the decision to go with a 38mm mount. I cut three rings with my Rotozip, each of which was imperfect. The first one, despite 2 measurements, was too small. :expletive deleted: Luckily, I can use it inside the cone's shoulder. The next one was a different diameter at the start and end of the cut :eek: Luckily, it is close and I can shim the short segment. I think the center peg was sliding out of the pivot hole due to the surface I was working on. The third was better but still not perfect.

The Rotozip won't do a 38mm hole, I don't have a approproate hole saw, and I couldn't find my circle cutter. So, I punted. I cut a hole larger than I needed and attached 38mm-3" centering rings. This method isn't what would be considered good modeling, but it works! I have yet to drill the holes for the 24mm canted mounts or notch the sides for the fin extensions. I decide I'd mount the added fins on bars that slide up through the centering rings adjacent to the body. I'll hive to look around for some clear material and use Lexan fins. If I can't find cheap clear plastic bars (nominally square tubes), I may just go for wood fins.

I notice sandman from Excelsior has a decal set for a BT-101-sized MLAS model. I assume he can scale them so, if mine survives its 1st flight, I may ask if he can make be a set.

Falcon 1 photos

Clark Lindsey relays SpaceX's photo gallery from their successful Falcon 1 launch. Here's my favorite:

The top 10 Saturn V models

OObject presents their Top 10 Moon Rocket Models. The link goes directly to the undisputed (by my criteria at least) #1 entry - Steve Eves' 1:10 scale Saturn V. You can navigate forward and backward from there. Dr. Zooch's 'ant scale' model and Apogee's 1:70 kit are also represented. Missing, unless they are...er...rebranded, are Sheri's 1:48 high power kit, the classic OOP Estes model, or Polecat's 10" version.

Blue Scout

Here's a nice photo of a Blue Scout. Click the photo to get to the source. A bigger version is available.

Do you know where Apollo 11 was?

Well, at this date 40 years ago, Apollo 11 was about half way there. Landing will be in a bit over 78 hours.

Apollo 11 in The Big Picture

40 Apollo 11 photos from The Big Picture

Trinity Site history

Courtesy of White Sands Missile Range

The first atomic bomb was tested at Trinity Site on July 16, 1945. Most people are familiar with this and the fact that the National Historic Landmark is on the north end of White Sands Missile Range. However, most are not familiar with the Trinity Site explosion weeks earlier on May 7, 1945.

At 5:30 a.m. on July 16, 1945 the world was ushered into the atomic age with the test of a plutonium-based bomb at Trinity Site.

The other Trinity explosive test was initially proposed in 1944 as a way to provide testers with a full dress rehearsal for the real thing and as a way to calibrate blast and shock sensors.

It was accomplished by building a 20-foot heavy wooden platform. On top of this soldiers placed 100 tons of high explosives (HE). The amount of HE and its height above the ground were scaled to simulate a four to five kiloton nuclear blast. (The July 16 test took place on a 100-foot tower but had a higher yield of 20 kilotons).

Many of the instrumentation sites used for the real test were operational for the 100-ton test. For instance, 11 quartz blast gauges were installed at ground level and nine records were obtained. Also, six geophones were used to measure earth motion and all gave satisfactory readings. In addition, all three Fastax cameras running at 1,000 frames per second from 800 yards away provided excellent photographic coverage.

Some of these instrumentation sites were constructed to accommodate the 100-ton test. For instance, the west 800-yard bunker has a view port facing the real ground zero and another facing more to the south where the 100-ton test was conducted.

The 100-ton test took place southeast of the real ground zero at a spot just east of the current Trinity Site parking lot.

The test was scheduled for 4 a.m. on May 7 but was delayed 37 minutes.

One obscure aspect of the test was the use of a radioactive slurry in the stack of HE. To measure the distribution of radioactive debris from the explosion, a radioactive slug from Hanford was dissolved and run into plastic tubing in the HE stack.

After the explosion the same methods were used to measure radiation on the ground that were planned for the July 16 test. For instance, a lead shielded tank drove into the small crater (about five feet deep and 30 feet in diameter) to take soil samples.

One thing learned from the test was the need for better roads to get people around quicker and reduce dust. By the time of the real test, more than 20 miles of the site’s roads were blacktopped.

Unlike the real test, the May 7 action went pretty much unnoticed. The flash of light was seen at the Alamogordo Bombing Range headquarters area by an observer who was told about it. Other than that, no one seems to have noticed the explosion.

This column is provided by White Sands Missile Range’s Public Affairs Office. For more information, call the office at (505) 678-1134.

Text via The Morgue, embedded image via Nevada Tumbleweed

We Choose the Moon - reminder

Remember, We Choose the Moon is providing a real-time audio and video recreation of the Apollo 11 mission. There are various ways to share and follow the action. I added it to my Twitter feed.

T-~09:16:00

Crew resting for morning liftoff.

Apollo 11 on July 16, 1969

Saturn V, Lunar Module and Command Module cutaway drawings

Via Flightglobal:

• Saturn V
• Lunar Module
• Command Module

Includes links to .pdf files.

8" MLAS construction notes, part 2

Still struggling with the internal structure. Decided to build for 38mm 'G' motors. They are stubbier, which can't hurt in this stubby design. Plus they give the option for a G185 should this sucker get too heavy for a mere G64/71/77/80.

Here's what the nose section looks like now.

8" MLAS construction notes, part 1

I'm writing this to document how I'm building the nose section. If it works I'll use this for part of an EMRR review. You can follow the MLAS tag if you aren't familiar with what the real one looks like.

The ~2.5" body section and shoulder shown in the photo is 8.25" Sonotube. I really could have used a suitable power saw but, since I don't have one and wanted to get started, I cut the pieces by hand. The shoulder was made using the tried-and-true process of sectioning the tube and using the leftover strip to join the sections.

The nose is the top of a big plastic Easter Egg. Or is it the bottom? Philosophers, let the debate begin :) I'll try to explain how I cut it. There was a spot on the end-to-end seam that appeared to be the apex. I set the egg, with the 'top' section down, in the Sonotube. I measured the length of the exposed seam and subtracted that from the total seam length, divided by 2, and used this to mark points around the circumference. This provided a 'nose cone' that fit inside the tube. Next, I aligned the upside down egg in the tube using these marks and used used a ruler to measure the distance from the tube's rim to the point where the tube's outer diameter would intersect the cone. The marks were extended by this distance and I added a fudge-factor to account for the measurement being added along the surface rather than on a line parallel to the body tube. (Now, that should be clear as mud.) The egg was cut using a Dremel cut-off wheel. I probably should have done this more scientifically, but I lucked-out and the fit is good.

The resulting nose cone was really floppy and it didn't fit naturally on the tube. I slid the body tube section over the shoulder section and adjusted its position so that the shoulder supported the nose cone (i.e. the shoulder extends up into the cone by about 3/4 inch). I then glued the body section and shoulder together. To help with the fit, I filled the angled are between the shoulder lip and the body using Fill'n'Finish. When dry, the nose fit really nicely. I then screwed the cone to the shoulder in 4 places.

I cut four fins from 1/4" balsa. These are tapered in their leading and trailing edges and should look nice. I'm made the nose 'engine pods' from sectioned pieces of BT-5 whose ends are capped with cardboard. Holding anything onto the nose cone plastic will be difficult so I added some screws from the inside of the cone. I filled the pods with rods of pink foam and trimmed them with a small hot-wire cutter. I used a dab of epoxy where the screws penetrated the foam and tile caulking to hold the pods on. I'll post a photo a bit later.

Next up will be the inner structure in the cone. I plan to use a plywood ring centering a 3" tube. I had though this would hold a 'chute but now realize a G motor will extend halfway into the upper body. I may devise a piston scheme using telescoping 3" tubing.

Videos added to yesterday's posts

Aw heck, I could link to them but since embedding uses no resources...





And while I'm at it...

Falcon 1 launch

Posted July 13, 2009 - 20:36 PDT

T-+:00:00:00 We have liftoff!

Posted July 13, 2009 - 20:40 PDT

Kestrel fires for over 6 minutes on its way to orbit.

Posted July 13, 2009 - 20:46 PDT

T+:00:09:50 We have SECO. RazakSAT in parking orbit

Good job SpaceX team.

Of course, I missed the live coverage. Oh well, there are always replays:

Falcon 1 launch today (maybe - update)

In Steve Jurvetson's post on his visit to the Russian Space Agency, which itself was interesting, he notes that a Falcon 1 launch is set to go this afternoon. The launch window opens at 7pm EDT and the webcast will start at 6:40.

The Falcon 1 will be launching Malaysia's RazakSAT. Read more about this mission on NASAspaceflight.com. (Yeah, the Shuttle is supposed to go up at almost the same time, weather permitting.)

Update: The feed came up but is just showing a title and no real status. Clark Lindsey notes the RazakSAT site has a countdown clock sitting at 12+ hours.

Is the life expectancy of the completed ISS only 6 years?

This probably isn't news to people who paid attention and could count, but it appears that unless additional funding is sought, that is the case. The Washington Post points out that the Station will be complete and fully manned by the end of next year (2010) and the current plans are to begin de-orbit preparation is 1Q2016. Independent whether it was a good idea from the get go, this pretty much sums up the situation.

"If we've spent a hundred billion dollars, I don't think we want to shut it down in 2015," Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) told Augustine's committee. "My opinion is it would be a travesty to de-orbit this thing," he said. "If we get rid of this darned thing in 2015, we're going to cede our leadership in human exploration."

I wasn't a big proponent of the Augustine Commission, but plans like this make be think that everything NASA wants to do deserves additional scrutiny.

One down and one to go (blog format discussion)

OK, I'm dumping the list of recent posts but for now am keeping the comments list. In what should be the top comment at post time *, The EGE confirms and reminds me that the recent posts list is redundant. If you have to scroll through the sidebar to find the list...might just as well scroll through the top blog page. Thanks, EGE, for commenting!

* Hmmm, must take a while for a comment to filter into a location where the widget can find it?

Free-range Unreasonable Rocket spotted in the Mojave

Paul Breed briefly reports that his untethered Blue Ball flew and landed well. He provides photographic evidence and says he'll post more when his body temperature returns to normal. That's awesome Paul, congratulations!

Hat tip to George Katz for finding and passing along the video.

Nose section of new project

P.S. That's 8" in diameter.

D-Fusion Bomb, Block 2

Well, the first version was underpowered on a D12 and unstable. I still am a tad confused but, instead of taxing my feeble brain, I decided more fin area was in order. So I added some quick-and-dirty basswood fins on an extended motor tube. It's actually heavier than the original and has margin of .34 before 'chute and any nose weight.

I need to trade an E15-7 for an E30-4. No positive retention = no RMS (making chicken sounds).

Sport Rocketry, July/August 2009

The main theme of this issue is NARCON 2009. Unfortunately, the descriptions of the sessions can only provide a hint of what was covered. I really would like to have seen the 'dumpster diving' session.

There are good articles on GPS tracking and how to outfit your custom paint shop.

Tom Beach provides a plan for a simple, clear-bodied demo rocket based on fluorescent lamp tubing. I like plans. I've got some salvaged tubing from an earlier project...

Leslie Houk's Cato Chronicles talks about range boxes and their contents. He presents a humorous photo showing a range box overflowing with hand and garden tools. It reminded me that I too had garden tools in my box when I flew at NARHAMS' Middletown field. I'd take yard clippers to help navigate the brambles during recovery ops. A hammer can be useful too...

Brain surgery ain't rocket science, but it appears rocket science might be brain surgery

And it isn't even April...LOL.

How long a sidebar is too long?

I just added two new widgets to my sidebar, recent posts and recent comments. Dang, the sidebar is getting long. I'm going to leave these for a while and try to decide if their presence will help others navigate around or be useful to me. Since more than 10 posts are already displayed, I'm not sure a summary really does anything for anybody. I'm also trying to remember how many times I've actually wanted to find a recent comment after I've read and responded to it. Not many if any at all.

Well, I've just about talked my self out of these.

Blogger needs an admin page where you can permanently stash things like these, the archive widget and the tag list. I also wish they built in slider bars into all their widgets. I can add them to the basic html widget but the canned ones don't let you. A short tags list with the ability to scroll down would really help the congestion. Crap, I should have suggested this when Blogger was recently soliciting ideas.

MLAS, MLAS, and more MLAS

I see YORF memebers Gus, sandman (who turned the components of the flying model from my previous post), and Peter "Rockets of the World" Alway got to attend the MLAS launch. It turns out the model builder, Tim Wilson, is the assistant director of NESC, which built the MLAS. You can read their trip report(s) starting with post #17 in this YORF thread. Photos are included so we won't have to send out the hit men.

I'm thinking of an 8" stand-off version using Sonotube and a huge Easter Egg. Central 29mm mount and 4 canted 24mm mounts. One 'chute (maybe 2) and no inner capsule. Clear fins on clear posts mounted thru the lower CR. The margin is too close for me even with CP confirmation against the real thing. Especially with canted, clustered motors :eek:

Still want one from Quest.

An existing MLAS flying model! Yeah!

This is too awesome. TRF member wilostr reports on his completed, but not yet flown, 1:20, 19.8" dia. MLAS model (photo stolen from his post). Beautiful rocket. It is built to fly on 3 G80s, and has several custom 'chutes. He provided a RockSim model, whose CP is very close to the actual wind tunnel test of the real thing. Doubly awesome!

MLAS flying model - WANT

Sounds like Quest may have one in the works.

DIY Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC)

For the space geek in all of us, Echoes of Apollo has plans to build your own AGC. (hat tip to falingtrea on TRF)

While you're at it, check out the main site.

Rocket Girls #76

First, a submission from 'down-under' (hat tip to Sascha):


Troody's Big Bang - her Level-3 rocket or not? Hehe.

Oh man, I won't touch a caption for this one with a 52" casing...

Air Turbo Rockets

Air Turbo Rockets (ATRs) are a cross between turbojets and rockets. The basic version is an air breathing engine augmented with a rocket gas generator that drives a turbine and in-turn an air compressor. However, the concept can be extended to an engine that can transition from this mixed mode to rocket only propulsion. That would allow the engine to operate both in our atmosphere as well as in space. Clark Lindsey discusses the concept briefly and points to additional links, which I've repeated:

• Selenian Boondocks - Turbo Rocket Upgrades
• The Air Turbo Rocket: An Introduction - Plasma Wind - May.29.09
• The Air Turbo Rocket: Performance Attributes (Part 1) - Plasma Wind - June.5.09
• The Air Turbo Rocket: Performance Attributes (Part II) - Plasma Wind - June.23.09
• ATR Applications: Tactical Missile Propulsion - Plasma Wind - July.08.09
  

Flint's pyro book

Flint, a frequent contributor to the SugPro list, has compiled his rocket/pyro web pages into a .pdf-format e-book. It covers fireworks, BP and sugar motors, and related subjects/devices. Worth a look if you're interested in such things. Read the disclaimer and don't damage yourself or others, burn anything down, or go to jail.

Ad Astra plasma engine meets a critical milestone

OnOrbit reports that Ad Astra Rocket Company has successfully run the VX-200 VASIMR plasma engine's superconducting first stage at full power. This is an important step towards 39 day trips to Mars. (via NASA Watch)

More MLAS launch shots

Via the AP and io9.

I didn't take note...

Of today's unique second in history: 12:34:56 7/8/09. In fact, I missed it twice!

MLAS launch video (update)

I see there is a video on NASA's Exploration/MLAS page (in the sidebar). You can also access it directly. Cool, I love low and slow. (I wish they made their videos embeddable.)

There is more on this vehicle on NASAspaceflight.com.

(links from Clark Lindsey's RLV blog)

The video, as expected, has migrated to YouTube:

Space Oddity, times four

Clark Lindsey passes along news of a special moon walk release of multiple versions of David Bowie's Space Oddity, which was originally released nine days before Apollo 11’s Neil Armstrong and Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin Jr. took their giant leap. Here's a video for you Bowie fans.

MLAS launch (update!)

Twitter indicates it happened on schedule but doesn't cover the flight or any results. Anyone know if there was a webcast? I hope a video crops up somewhere.

Well, NASA Watch was watching and found an article, with the following photo, in the PilotOnline.com. Click it!

LDRS 28 coverage reminder

I've continued to add links as I found them. More to come. Have some I missed?

MLAS launch tomorrow

NASA Wallops will launch the Max Launch Abort System between 5:45 and 10:00 AM tomorrow. The 33' tall, 45k lb vehicle is only expected to reach about a mile and should last less than 2 minutes. You can watch the webcast or follow the launch on Twitter. (hat tip to Maryland Weather, NASA photo)

Twitter disappoints, again (update)

First, let me say that I appreciated Brett Keller's efforts to provide updates from LDRS 28 (his Tweets can be found here). I enjoyed hearing some feedback from the field. So, this is only a criticism of the media (more its application), not the user(s).

When I heard there would be real-time updates from LDRS , my mind envisioned at least two major updates a day and hoped for more. Like...'"the Gates Brother's huge Jayhawk just tore of the pad, and here's a photo."

This same effect happened when I wanted to follow the Obama inauguration. I mainly wanted to see how the crowds were, delays getting in and out, etc. It's not like I was that interested per-se, but I was excited about the prospects of having real time coverage from events and thought this would be a good test. Well, the number of updates actually dropped below what you see in their normal day to day traffic.

Update: Brett clarified why his posts were more daily than 'real-time' - no cell coverage on the field. ACK! Since our fields on the Eastern Shore get coverage, I ignored this possibility. I guess I owe a partial apology to Twitter. Anyway, thanks again Brett for taking the time after the long, hot, damp days to brighten ours.

The problem is that although the media can support real-time you also have to have people who will dedicate their time and cell phone minutes. I won't criticize the individuals because I, for one, would rather watch the Jayhawk, take photos, and report when I got home. Maybe this will change when the younger generation, who seems to be used to knowing what their friends are doing 24/7, grows up and focuses on slightly more useful subjects.

The next test for me will be how interesting the real-time replay of the moon landing will be - We Choose the Moon.

Steve Jurvetson's view of new-space

CNET has an article on Steve Jurvetson, High Power Rocketeer and managing partner of the venture capital firm Draper Fisher and Jurvetson. The article covers his interest in electric vehicles and his belief in 'fringe science'. Here's what he says about 'new space':

He's also a fan of space start-ups, and not just because he's an avid model rocketry buff. SpaceX, he says, will be profitable after one launch, successful or not. In the space launch business, the penalty for failure is 10 percent -- that's how much the company must refund to its client if the launch vehicle blows up on the pad. The trick, of course, is getting the launch contracts, but with those odds, Jurvetson says, he'd be a fool not to invest. Furthermore, there's "no technology invention risk." SpaceX, he says, is an integration challenge, but the science is already known and proven in practice.

Space tourism, though, is out. Too expensive. "You can get to zero gravity pretty cheaply," in an airplane. Rocketry is overkill.

In addition to the link in the quote, you can see his rocketry exploits on his Flickr photo blog.

(as seen on Parabolic Arc)

It must be video Monday - on-board Shuttle footage

Ait Command's latest clustered, staged, video water rocket

Real time, high speed (which makes the video slo-mo), and on-board footage from the Acceleron V:



All the details can be found here.

BBQ, beer and boom

LDRS 28 photos (updated)

I'm adding to this thread as new sources are found. The latest will be on top.

(posted 7/11 12:22 AM) And, although only Day 1 is currently listed, ROCKETS Magazine's albums should provide the best photographic coverage. (They should have a video teaser soon also.) Their site is slow at the moment so I missed that the link I provided is also a teaser. You can see more photos, soon if not now, by navigating to photos-->purchase photos-->LDRS 28.

(posted 7/13 10:30 AM) The Oakleys have a nice album.

(posted 7/11 12:22 AM) Eldred seems to now have his photos on his own site (vs. on ROL as noted below). Here is a starting point in the middle of his Sunday shots. I'm lazy but it should be easy to navigate to any other days' photos.

(posted 7/8 05:30 PM) Another small Flickr set.

(posted 7/8 12:19 AM) Sunday on Brett Keller's Rockets and Stuff.

(posted 7/7 10:29 PM) A Sunday report on Rocketry Planet.

(posted 7/7 06:05 PM) See Mark's Photos on OurPlanet:


Find more photos like this on Our Planet


(posted 7/7 05:40 PM) The demise of the Black 5 (video at the bottom)

(posted 7/6 09:28 PM) Here's HotRod Rocket's OurPlanet album:


Find more photos like this on Our Planet


(posted 7/6 06:23 PM) Vern Hoag prepping his Redstone.

(posted 7/5 09:00 PM) Tim Sapp Photography has coverage of the whole event to date. Click on 'proofing' at the top of the page. The required password will be revealed.

(posted 7/5 10:50 AM) Eldred Pickett's photos from Saturday are up on ROL.

(posted 7/4 1:56 PM) Shovel recovery from 1500'. (BTW, I'm just coolin' my heals before heading out to BBQ and fireworks.)

(posted 7/4 11:15 AM) Here's another Flickr album from dcrocketeer. Ken Zeuner loves BIG bottle rockets to celebrate the 4th. This one will fly on a 98mm motor!



(posted 7/4 10:50 AM) ROL has a nice album, including lift-off shots of the Hot Rod Nitro Fireball showing at least some of the outboard rockets boosting. The launch sequence starts at photo 1033. There are several shots of MDRA members and MDRA-accessories, including Glenn Davis' yellow Skunkworks X-15 (photo 1006).

(original post) Found some photos of Day 2 (Friday) on Flickr. I spotted familiar signs, speakers, and an MDRA rail. And, some photos of the Hot Rod Nitro Fireball that sports 7 29mm mounts, 6 outboard 24mm mounts and 6 'staged' HotRod Nitro-Xs. That's 19 motors. I went ahead and embedded one of clubjuggler's nice photos.

My simple Independence Day post

I hope everyone has a great day! (image courtesy of Res Communis)

Messer-Fo-Shizzle officially DOA

I finally decided to rebuild the Messer-Fo-Shizzle after it failed to deploy at Red Glare VI. Well, the news was worse than expected. I thought I'd have to trim and extend the upper body, reattach the two fin units that shredded off and re-tack the motor mount(s). It turns out that all the foam fins were also damaged and the motor mount was really jacked up. I still could re-build it but am leading towards building something totally different. I can still reuse the nose cone and replaceable fin holders. It's ironic that, every time I've used them, I've not only had to replace the foam board fins (as planned) but also the entire underlying rocket (a bug, not a feature). For now I just put the body aside. I'm out of Quaker Oats bins since I've been buying it in bulk at Costco. When I get a replacements, I'll make the final decision.

Tilt sensors

Here's a link to a source for $2 tilt sensors. These appear to employ small metal balls and should basically operate like a mercury switch. In the old days, mercury switches were used for electronic staging. I've heard people had used them for apogee detection but in my experience they would activate on motor burn out, which would lead to (way) early ejection. These days, micro-controllers are so cheap that you could easily mask the burn-out event and then read the sensor to detect apogee. The sensors are so small and cheap you could even use redundant sensors just in case you are unsure of their reliability.

Goonball XL5 review on EMRR

Somehow, the fact that this review had been posted slipped under the Dungeon's radar.

LDRS 28 - a mud bowl

Rocketry Planet has posted more details on the first day of, er, flying. As Brett Keller reported via Twitter, the field conditions are terrible. Darrell has posted some photos, including the following one, which shows some rocket vehicle extraction units (RVEU).

Rocket-powered and mosquito-killing lasers

The current IEEE Spectrum has a nice article on the quest for 100+ KW, solid state, missile-killing lasers. One of the systems described is the Airborne Laser (ABL). This 1-MW beast, which fills a 747, is a flowing gas laser. These are "powered by burning chemical fuels like those that drive rocket endings." Since the best high power lasers are only around 20% efficient, heat dissipation is a major problem. In rocket-engine lasers, the excess heat is carried away in the exhaust. The system will be tested later this year.

In another article, it's pointed out that the first operational death rays will kill mosquitoes, not missiles. Mosquito laser technology is now being funded by the Gates Foundation as a means to eradicate malaria.