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The Huntsville Concrete Rocket
eric writes: "Students at the University of Alabama in Huntsville have designed and launched the world's first concrete rocket. Video of the launch can be found on their site" Look to the bottom of the page. What's next? Concrete cell phones? I could use a cell phone that could float.
I haven't noticed anyone from Slashdot coming to my dwelling and putting a gun to my head.
Getting the fine quality content, like these belated April Fools Day stories is well worth having to close a few pop-ups.
So grow up, and quite whining and complaining about the things you bring on yourself of your own free will.
Sheesh.
The vehicle was successfully launched on April 19, 2001. Things went so well that plans have already been made with Alabama A&M University to build and launch a larger prototype that will serve as a sounding rocket to take micro-gravity experiments into space. The project is being supported by a number of Huntsville's high-tech aerospace companies and federal agencies including NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.
THAT sounds more like a Slashdot headliner... so where is the article about the BIG rocket? Oh! Let me guess... it hasn't happened yet.
Ok, so how the hell is a year-old "first" news?
I've got a bad attitude and karma to burn. Go ahead. Mod me down.
It is a felony in most states to launch a model rocket exceding certain characteristics.
For example tipping it with a nail, or making it a DESTRUCTIVE DEVICE by merely increasing its girth to over sixty hundredths of an inch, or using its fuel as a type of explosive payload.
But you cannot tip it with a metal mass.
These people cleverly used concrete to skirt the state laws on illegal rocketry.
Thats funny.
We used to shoot metal tipped rockets into aluminum siding of college busses using c engines in mosquitos at college (actually the NROTC guys did it all the time as a thrill)
They stopped when springtime brought prospect of open bus windows.
the rockets stuck into the bus (north campus busses).
They would have used cement to stay within the law if they knew it could be done.... too bad it would be a small pinch of payload.... no way to get thrust for much concrete.
There was a whole article about this in the New Scientist a couple of months ago, it's not on their site but I seem to recall it mentioned concrete planes too...
Several Universities around here build concrete toboggans. Take a look, it's actually quite intersting.
Ok I know there are alot of people who think that the whole concrete rocket thing is stupid. In fact it was done just to see if it could be done. The real project that this team works on is much bigger. I helped. Student Launch Initiative of The University of Alabama in Huntsville's official website is: http://www.eng.uah.edu/~sli/ You can fins the videos and such there. The newest videos of our launch to 11,000 ft should be posted soon.