The Rocketry Blog

Rocket Photo of the Week

rocketry — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:32:48 +0000

Soyuz on the way to the pad Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Reader’s Questions: What is a Sounding Rocket?

rocketry — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:05:33 +0000

Sailors the world over used to throw a weighted line into the water off of the ship to gauge the depth of the water. This was known as “to sound” or “a sounding”. Basically it was a measurement of the current depth. That is what research rockets usually do…they take measurements. This is why they are often called Sounding Rockets.

Sounding Rockets are sent usually into the upper atmosphere on suborbital flights. During these flights the rocket science payload takes measurements and is gently brought down by parachute. Often these payloads are refurbished and launched again and again. Sounding rockets generally fly to altitudes from 30 miles to 800 miles in a parabolic arc.

Sounding Rocket Flight - image: NASA

Most Sounding Rocket Flights in the US take place at Wallops Flight Facility off the coast of Virginia.

“NASA Goddard Space Flight Center`s Wallops Flight Facility, located on Virginia`s Eastern Shore, was established in 1945 by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, as a center for aeronautic research.

The research and responsibilities of Wallops Flight Facility are centered around the philosophy of providing a fast, low cost, highly flexible and safe response to meet the needs of the United States` aerospace technology interests and science research. The 1000 full-time Civil Service and contractor NASA Wallops employees act as a team to accomplish our mission in the spirit of this philosophy.

NASA also opens its unique facilities to industry for space and aeronautics research. Wallops expects an increase in commercial launch activity in the very near future.” -Wallops Flight Center

Wallops is an suprisingly busy place. Here is their online calendar schedule.

NASA Sounding Rockets

Sounding Rocket Information for Modelers and Researchers:

My Sounding Rocket Resource Page

Peter Alway has nice page of Scale drawings of Sounding Rockets for our rocketeers who would like to create static and flyable models.

See how a Texas Middle School created their own Sounding Rocket (PDF)

Nasa’s Sounding Rocket Handbook (PDF)

See Info on the Intercollegiate Sounding Rocket Competition

Hurricane Winds Put Dramatic End to Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo Event

rocketry — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:32:04 +0000

Morning after winds - photo courtesy of Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic Press Release – “At the start of a dramatic week of weather right across the US, hurricane force winds hit Mojave Air and Spaceport CA on the evening of Monday 7th December, tearing apart a specially created site which had been used throughout the day to house guests attending the first roll out of Virgin Galactic’s new spaceship.

Along with Sir Richard Branson and spaceship designer Burt Rutan, over 800 press, future astronauts and VIP guests including Governors Bill Richardson and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and Victoria Principal had gathered in the desert to witness the roll out of the world’s first commercial manned spaceship. Standing at the end of the runway, guests braved gale force winds andstormy weather, to see SpaceShipTwo for the first time. The spaceship was carried down the runway as snow fell, by her mothership, VMS Eve, to a spectacular display of lights and music.

A few hours later as guests celebrated, an evacuation was called by local officials who had become aware of the approaching storm. Sir Richard Branson said: “It was absolutely incredible, the roll out of the spaceship had been fantastic and everybody was filled with terrific energy. We were all in the tents when the evacuation was called. 20 minutes after the last of the 800 guests had been coached away, the main 200ft tent literally took off”. Gusts were reported of up to 116MPH, and local residents commented that the Mojave area had not experienced such a combination of high winds, rain and freezing temperatures for over two decades. Both spaceship and mothership were unscathed thanks to the rapid action of the crew as were all guests thanks to an efficient evacuation to waiting buses.
Sir Richard Branson added: “We were fully expecting to be blown away by our beautiful new spaceship but got a little more than we bargained for!” –Virgin Galactic

Dramatic Video of the event

S.S. Enterprise

rocketry — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:33:14 +0000

Quick little video of the SpaceShipTwo S.S. Enterprise unveiling.

Link Here

Giant Spirals over Norway

rocketry — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:20:29 +0000

Click to Enlarge Photo: Jan Petter Jørgensen via Vaeret

Have you seen today’s post about the Giant Spirals that appeared over Norway this morning? They are quite beautiful. Is it a Stargate? ….or maybe a Time Tunnel? …or just a rocket out of control. Here are the Links :

Altaposten.no

Universe Today

Evidence is growing that this event was caused by a malfunctioning rocket, possibly a Buluva ICBM launched from a Russian submarine.

Here is a simulation done by Doug Ellison over at unmannedspaceflight.com did the simulation of rocket fuel escaping in two directions from a tumbling rocket stage

UPDATE: CONFIRMED
Russia Confirms failed missile launch

Virgin Galactic unveils SpaceShipTwo

rocketry — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:58:30 +0000

Virgin Galactic's SpaceshipTwo under WhiteKnightTwo

“Virgin Founder, Sir Richard Branson and SpaceshipOne (SS1) designer, Burt Rutan, today reveal SS2 to the public for the first time since construction of the world’s first manned commercial spaceship began in 2007. SS2 has been designed to take many thousands of private astronauts into space after test programming and all required U.S. government licensing has been completed.”
-Virgin Galactic

Book your flight today

Click to Enlarge

Passenger area on SS2

STS-129 Amazing Ascent Video

rocketry — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:05:48 +0000

I’ve seen a great deal of Shuttle on board camera videos but this compilation of both ground and on-board video makes for quite a ride. This is my favorite Shuttle video to date. Click on the video to watch in higher resolution for a better experience.

Everyday Technologies That Came from NASA

rocketry — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:26:15 +0000

Rocketry research sometimes leads to new technologies. On any given day it is very likely that you will use or come in contact with a product that came from the years of research performed at NASA. Next time you use your water purifier or you lie down on your memory foam mattress you should realize this came from NASA research. There have been products in many different fields of research….Pacemakers, building materials, clothing, and the food industry. The list goes on and on.

Blogger Nancy Simmons points out 25 technologies that come from NASA R&D.
25 Everyday Technologies that came from NASA

…and from “How Stuff Works”
10 NASA inventions you may use everyday

…and from About.com
Apollo Inventions

ARCA Helen Launch postponed

rocketry — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:58:39 +0000

Helen being readied for balloon attachment

More Rockoon news….

” SAT-NOV-14—ARCA has postponed the launch of Helen rocket.
The cause was determined by very powerful air currents who twisted the balloon, stopping the inflating process. ARCA team with the help of military divers restored the balloon in correct position and the inflating operation was resumed.
This action has had a length over time, in which it was lost the solar radiation intensity required for heating the air inside.” -official ARCA release

Get the latest at the ARCA site

Buzz Aldrin rips the Ares 1-X flight

rocketry — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:03:39 +0000

Buzz on Apollo 11 mission

This is a really interesting read. Buzz Aldrin tells his feelings on the Ares 1-X shot from 2 weeks ago. Buzz Aldrin has always been one of the most vocal of the astronauts and a definite champion of manned spaceflight.

Buzz Aldrin: Why we need better rockets

Buzz Aldrin’s latest book “Magnificent Desolation”