Here's a post from last September (I never got around to posting it):
"The other day I was thinking about outer space, how intriguing it is and such. I started to wonder how close I had ever come with one of my rockets to the edge of outer space. The results weren't the most exciting ever.
I figured that the highest flying rocket I have ever built and flown was my supersonic rocket, which supposedly reached an altitude of a little over 4,000 feet. That's about one tenth the ceiling of the troposphere, which is where the commercial jets fly, at about 5-7 miles high. The sad story is that the edge of space is 10 times that altitude, and satellites orbit yet 40-50 miles higher than that! So my altitude versus space's is a depressing ratio of about 1/150 (if I did my math right!).
That's gonna change."
1/23/09
My current project's full potential (High-5) should dash this record by at least 3,000 feet! Every year I'm getting closer and closer to the edge of outer space!"
"The other day I was thinking about outer space, how intriguing it is and such. I started to wonder how close I had ever come with one of my rockets to the edge of outer space. The results weren't the most exciting ever.
I figured that the highest flying rocket I have ever built and flown was my supersonic rocket, which supposedly reached an altitude of a little over 4,000 feet. That's about one tenth the ceiling of the troposphere, which is where the commercial jets fly, at about 5-7 miles high. The sad story is that the edge of space is 10 times that altitude, and satellites orbit yet 40-50 miles higher than that! So my altitude versus space's is a depressing ratio of about 1/150 (if I did my math right!).
That's gonna change."
1/23/09
My current project's full potential (High-5) should dash this record by at least 3,000 feet! Every year I'm getting closer and closer to the edge of outer space!"
6 comments:
Indeed things will chance once you get to High Power.
Just level 1 cert will get you above 2 miles. Level 2, with some creative 2 stage rockets, could probably approach 10 miles! That would get you almost to the bottom of the stratosphere. (For this I use the example of a min. dia Kosdon L3000 to L3000 rocket).
Good luck on all your goals!
I'm an Aerospace Engineer working at Kennedy Space Center for NASA and YOU are inspiring me to continue learning more about my field.
I just started a little rocket club with some of my friends and we hope to achieve what you have proven is possible (break the sound barrier with a model rocket). Again, good luck with everything I wish you the greatest success!
Thank you David! That was a very encouraging comment, to think that I inspired an aerospace engineer at NASA.
Two parenthetical comments:
1) I didn't exactly prove that the rocket went supersonic, I'm just assuming it did.
and 2) How did you find this blog? (Just curious).
1) I realized that but I'm assuming your assumption was correct. Based on my brief online research on the subject it seems proving a model rocket has gone supersonic is extremely difficult.
2) I think I searched supersonic model rockets and your blog was one of the first links.
I beleave you are right too.
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