Activity

What is the ceiling at the Atlas site? I also see there is a research launch the next day – is static testing allowed?Edward

🙂 It feels kinda novel to be at the Atas site in June. :)My toes will not be freezing on the concrete pad for the frist time.I will not be jumping back in the truck to warm up, which usally…   Read more»

Atlas site for June launch is correct. Grazing issues and footprint impact from MHM big considerations – was discussed at January meeting and arranged accordingly. Windows available again for July North site launch.

From what Joe has said, the rancher wanted to do some special grazing or something at the north launch site in June, so we have been placed at the Atlas site for June flying. You have read correctly and it…   Read more»

Launching at Atlas in June would be new for me. Either there’s a mistake in the calendar or there’s something unusual about the North site availability this year.

Went looking for my rocket some more, because I really want my 29mm case and my Raven back. I found my recovery wadding on the road to the south of the launch pads by maybe 200 yds. This tells me…   Read more»

Chad,I was out looking for my 1MMM rocket. I was headed north of the site. I had gone through the first gate and was halfway to the next gate at the right turn when I saw some dayglo to my…   Read more»

I’ll recover your rocket from Nadine at the Hartsel launch. Pretty sure Michael Huber flew his MMM shot – too many flight cards to go thru right now to verify or post altitude.

Bear,Sorry about your 1MMM. I know you made it special.But… You found my rocket! That was my C alphabet shot. Where the heck did you find it. I looked for 2.5 hours for it and started to suspect it was…   Read more»

Bummer,

More brainstorming: Have you calculated the differential pressure that your nosecone shear pins would have to withstand? Was the nosecone shoulder seated firmly against the airframe, to prevent your shear pins from taking G loads during the boost? Did the…   Read more»

Chris,Heard about your flight, sorry about the rocket.Mike thanks for posting pics for those of us that didn’t make it out.-Chris

More brainstorming: Have you calculated the differential pressure that your nosecone shear pins would have to withstand? Was the nosecone shoulder seated firmly against the airframe, to prevent your shear pins from taking G loads during the boost? Did the…   Read more»

Definitely not. I looked at it fairly closely before flight, and it definitely wasn’t ready to fall apart.

Perhaps stress fractures from repeated Mach+ flights made it ready to fall apart.

Fiberglass, yes, but no reinforcement. It was just a glass nosecone stock from PR. It’s been up to ~M1.5 3 times before, and M1.8 once, and never had any issues. Apparently, 2.2 was too much though.Well……….maybe it just fell off!…   Read more»

Fiberglass, yes, but no reinforcement. It was just a glass nosecone stock from PR. It’s been up to ~M1.5 3 times before, and M1.8 once, and never had any issues. Apparently, 2.2 was too much though.

Warren: it shredded on the way up. Apparently, a PR 5 inch nosecone isn’t terribly happy at mach 2.2.(My fins stayed on though :D)

Is that a fiberglass nose cone? Renforced on the inside?

Did you get data? I wouldn’t have thought it possible for a nosecone to fail before a tube or coupler, but I guess anything is possible. Maybe we could see what altitude it was at, and look for wind shear…   Read more»

Did you get data? I wouldn’t have thought it possible for a nosecone to fail before a tube or coupler, but I guess anything is possible. Maybe we could see what altitude it was at, and look for wind shear…   Read more»