Author Topic: Rocket unrelated to Apollo - or spacetravel ftm.  (Read 3742 times)

Offline Allan F

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Well, it is like this: The truth doesn't need insults. Insults are the refuge of a darkened mind, a mind that refuses to open and see. Foul language can't outcompete knowledge. And knowledge is the result of education. Education is the result of the wish to know more, not less.

Offline Luke Pemberton

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Re: Rocket unrelated to Apollo - or spacetravel ftm.
« Reply #1 on: January 07, 2015, 06:13:10 PM »
http://observationdeck.io9.com/amazing-rocket-launch-1674815939

PLEASE turn up the volume.

I saw this a few days ago and looped it a few times. Utterly amazing. I wonder if the aerospace engineers here want to comment on the rotation about the axis.  ;)
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former - Albert Einstein.

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Offline smartcooky

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Re: Rocket unrelated to Apollo - or spacetravel ftm.
« Reply #2 on: January 07, 2015, 10:39:17 PM »
http://observationdeck.io9.com/amazing-rocket-launch-1674815939

PLEASE turn up the volume.

I saw this a few days ago and looped it a few times. Utterly amazing. I wonder if the aerospace engineers here want to comment on the rotation about the axis.  ;)


I was an avionics technician in the military, so perhaps can lay claim to the "aero" bit but not the "space" bit .

That looks like a rudimentary form of gyro-stabilisation to me. Also, if there was a small amount of thrust variation between the several rocket nozzles (which without rotation would cause asymmetric thrust), the rotation would tend to even the thrust out.

The rotation also makes it look spectacular, especially the corkscrew smoke trails. As one commenter said, it was crying out for coloured smoke!
If you're not a scientist but you think you've destroyed the foundation of a vast scientific edifice with 10 minutes of Googling, you might want to consider the possibility that you're wrong.

Offline scooter

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Re: Rocket unrelated to Apollo - or spacetravel ftm.
« Reply #3 on: January 11, 2015, 11:06:56 PM »
I recon if I showed up with something like this at a NAR event, it would rock the RSO back on his heels!
Quite impressive!

Offline ka9q

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Re: Rocket unrelated to Apollo - or spacetravel ftm.
« Reply #4 on: January 12, 2015, 06:44:35 AM »
I was thinking the same thing. I was curious as to their propellant, and I found the answer in the Wikipedia article on the subject: ordinary black powder, compounded by the builders themselves.

I doubt that sort of thing would even be legal here. Even if it is, it sure seems dangerous.