5/17/08

High-Power Rocket Launch

The next step in my ladder to space would probably be high-power rocketry. These rockets are like model rockets, only much bigger and louder, and can fly much, much higher. This afternoon I went to a high-power rocket launch of Tripoli Minnesota and took a few pictures.
The following picture is of a rocket flying with a type "I" motor. That would be four times as powerful as any rocket I have built:


This rocket has a kind of amazing story. Right when the range safety officer pressed the launch button a large gust of wind came up, and the rocket arched over in the sky. We expected it to straighten out, but it just kept curving, until it pointed towards the ground! When it finally did straighten out it was flying along parallel to the ground—still accelerating. It barreled into the ground and skipped like a stone…at nearly half the speed of sound! It’s too bad I didn’t video-record it. It was amazing. You would have liked to see it.

And at this launch I flew the famous “Squirrel’s Rocket” which appeared in my short clay animation. It was an amazing scene, a dark cloud in the background with the sunlight reflecting off the metallic paint job:


I can hardly wait to fly high-power rockets!

4 comments:

Rachel Kimberly said...

Wow! Great pictures! Very impressive.

High Power Rocketry said...

Rocketry is great. May I ask how a Christian world view alters your rocketry work?

DTH Rocket said...

"Rocketry is great. May I ask how a Christian world view alters your rocketry work?"

Yes, you may. In fact, I'm very glad you asked!

In the Bible there is a verse that indicates that whatever your circumstances your primary goal should be to bring glory to God. "...Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Chorintians 10:31). So in whatever way I can, I strive to bring glory to Him in my rocketry work. Physically, it doesn't alter anything. I guess it's basically just a mentality.

Following Jesus just gives life more meaning! Jesus is the only source of true and lasting joy.

High Power Rocketry said...

But just to be clear, there is no science content in the bible that is leading you to build rockets...

You celebrate the glory of god in your way, through rocketry and exploration?

I totally understand this, like a musician or a poet might do the same thing (but you are using rockets, which are cooler IMHO.)

I was at first confused because I thought your rocket science would be based on the bible or your rockets would perform in a specific and different way.

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