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Rocket Guy Getting Closer - But No Firm Launch Date
BoomZilla writes "Brian Walker, the self styled "Rocket Guy" is making excellent progress with his one-man booster. Project R.U.S.H. plans to launch Brian in to orbit 'sometime later this year'. Brian's site (http://www.rocketguy.com/rocket.html) has many excellent pictures of the rocket and launch site (his backyard!) under construction. This is certainly the real (if somewhat dangerous) deal." (And Napkin Art? Look here.) Update: 05/29 04:08 GMT by T : Brian Walker dropped a note to point out that his plan is actually for a sub-orbital flight 35 miles up, not Earth orbit.
To be added to the Darwin Awards in Real-Time. Maybe we will get streaming video of it too?
"Get them before they get....
...I can't help admiring the dedication and courage of this guy, if he actually climbs into that thing and sets it off.
There are few things as stimulating as such unbridled enthusiasm and resolve. Actual success is of less importance. Every now and then you meet a guy like this, at work or elsewhere, and I count myself lucky every time that happens. Makes my year, it does.
If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.rocketguy. com/rocket.html
Future /. headline:
Rocket Guy shot down by 'Star Wars' Missle Defense system.
On the other hand, neither is strapping on a tank of high explosives in your backyard.
Six of one, I suppose.
The site is /.ed right now, but I'd like to know what hes doing for safety systems. Will he have other people check over his work, calculations, manufacturing etc?
I would think NASA would be happy to lend a hand in that department, because if this goes wrong it could mean some seriously bad PR for any space related agencies. But there is great potential to reignite (no pun intended, really) interest in space, if common people can make it to space. I wish this guy the best of luck..
According to legend, sometime around 1500 AD, a Chinese official named Wan Hu constructed a chair, to which numerous rockets were attached. With this device, Wan Hu intended to ascend to Heaven.
:)
When the rockets were ignited, there was a tremendous flash of flame and thunder. After the smoke cleared, Wan Hu was never seen again, which I suppose means he must have made it.
Miko O'Sullivan
You overestimate the harm of a small amount of space junk. One of the things that is going for us is that there is a lot of space up there, and the space to junk ratio is very high. I seriously doubt that a small amount of shot, the couple kilogram that someone could manage to loft, would cause much damage, there are probably already thousands of kilograms of tiny space junk up there. Cumulative effects of thousands of small launches could be bad though.
I've had enough abrasive sigs. Kittens are cute and fuzzy.
NASA? Doesn't he need permission from the FAA to do this? Manned flight, makes him a pilot, right? He'll need to be licensed and his vehicle will need to be approved or he'll need certification as an experimental aircraft, right?
I couldn't find any mention of his getting this cleared with the FAA on the cached website page.
Is there some exception that this guy is using, or do I not understand the FAA regulations? Admittedly, I've not studied them at all...
Y'know...the cynicism of people... it amazes me...
Yeah, this guy is a bit of a nut. I cant disagree with that. But as loony as this is, he has a dream and he is going to make it happen.
Maybe instead of derision being aimed at this guy, we should all be praying that he succeeds. I for one would love a chance to do something like this, but if we wait for NASA and/or other government agencies to make it a reality I cant see it happening in my lifetime. Unless of course you have enough money to get tthe Russians to take you. Guys like this, and all the folks working on winning the X Prize are pioneers... and deserve more that the ridicule they get from the folks around here.
Laugh at him if you will, but what is the last daring thing you did to realize a lifelong dream? Hmmm?
Rocket Guy Getting Closer - But No Firm Launch Date
Well no wonder, every time he makes progress, we go and slashdot his site, so he has to redirect all his funds to bandwidth bills.
--
Some weasel took the cork out of my lunch.
I think you may want to reconsider calling 10 km the threshold to outer space. By that definition, anybody who has ever flown across the country is an astronaut. 10 km is roughly 33,000 feet after all. Hell, folks who have climbed to the top of Mount Everest would nearly qualify by that yardstick.
Guns don't kill people -- people kill people.
But the guns seem to help a bit. (apologies to Eddie Izzard)
FAR 101 (Federal aviation regulations) regulates what can be launched in the world of unmanned rockets - I'm not really sure what section covers manned rockets as I'm not crazy enough to sit on anything I build - I believe there is now a separate commercial space launch agency which deals with any kind of private space shot. Our local club routinely has clearance up to 11,500 feet above ground level and higher clearances are given to launches in more remote areas.
He has bought a Russian pressure suit. As for engine failure, he is buying commercial peroxide rockets, which are very reliable due to their monoproppelent simplicity. The rocket is very unlikely to fail.
If you don't understand any of my sayings, come to me in private and I shall take you in my German mouth.
"launch" should read "blow"
"orbit" should read "smithereens"
I'm gonna have to call BS on the taking it to a military base - our local club has a regular clearance up to 11,500 ft above ground level - that's about 3.5km without any inspections at military bases.
Goddard tried that in his first model. "In his earliest rockets, he placed the engine at the top of the vehicle and the fuel tanks below. However, he soon found that this "nose drive" arrangement was too unstable, so he placed the motor at the bottom, as in all modern rockets."
More specifically, Goddard's 1926 rocket (Goddard 1) reached an altitude of 41 feet. (Not 41,000 feet, forty-one feet.) It was really just an engine test vehicle. Goddard 2 was the same design, 20x bigger, and was a failure. Goddard 3 caught in the launch tower a few times, and finally flew 205 feet. Goddard 4 reached 2000 feet. Goddard 4 used various control systems; remote control was tried, then eight gyro-controlled vanes. Goddard A made short flights without a control system, then 1000 feet up (but 11000 feet horizontally - oops) with a pendulum-controlled stabilizer that didn't work very well.
Once Goddard got gyro-controlled stabilization working, things got much better. Goddard A reached 4800 feet, then 7500 feet. WWII interrupted further experimentation.
The German V-2 was actively stabilized with gyro controlled vanes in the exhaust. Those big tailfins didn't do the whole job. Since then, rockets have dispensed with the fins and relied entirely on the control system.
Rocket Guy has to have been told this by now. He must be in denial about the stability problem.
Here's some correspondance I exchanged with the RocketGuy last year. I was a bit harsh with him, but I was really concerned that he'd show up in the Darwin Awards:
To:
Sent: Friday, October 12, 2001 1:57 AM
Subject: WWW:Rocket Guy Site Feedback
Message: Are you going to do an unmanned test flight (or several) before you launch yourself in this rocket?
If not, I suggest you go to space.com and look at the videos under their "launches" section. You will see many rockets exploding and crashing.
If you launch yourself without doing unmanned test flights, it must be concluded that you are either an idiot or suicidal.
I hope that neither is the case and that you do the test flights and insure that you are not remembered as a fool.
Best wishes.
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And his reply:
========
From Brian Walker Fri Oct 12 08:10:26 2001
From: "Brian Walker"
Subject: Re: WWW:Rocket Guy Site Feedback
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2001 08:10:26 -0700
Yes, I will be conducting unmanned launches. The first will be is a smaller rocket 12 foot high, 320 pounds fuel,gross weight about 4000 pounds). It will demonstarte the separating fins and air launch system.
No, I am neither an idiot of suicidal.
Thanks for the message and concern.
Isn't it time we give him a chance to explain himself, since he's been featured on /. about a dozen times, and he has been called every possible kind of idiot by us?
- Have a picture