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Catching Up With The Rocket Guy
Jedi Holocron writes "The full article is at Space.Com and reports on the current status of Brian "Rocket Guy" Walker's home-brew space program. This is the guy who is planning to build a rocket in his backyard, funded by his toy inventions. He's scaled back from an X-Prize launch to a mere 15,000 feet with a sky-diving return. This could be the next ride installed next to Disney's Mission:Space if he has his way!!! All told he's now calling it an amateur rocket, however it doesn't look like the model rockets I remember."
I imagine is shooting him out of the top with a parachute on his back the way that an Estes does.
Some people don't give up on their childhood dreams
There's some equipment you might need when you catch up with him. For example, this might be useful. And to load him up, you might need one of these. Of course, to be truly prepared, make sure you have access to plenty of these and some of this.
If tits were wings it'd be flying around.
and that he's building a *rocket*. I'm sure this will inspire a lot of kids to go into science if it works.
I'm also sure it's good for him because he can turn around and make action figures of himself and his rocket!
Anybody in serious contention for winning the x-prize is motivated by far more than the prize itself.
Those who are working on a budget that makes the prize itself impressive do not have a chance.
It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?
I thought *he* was the rocket man?
In carting the rocket on a truck around town, Walker said he hangs a simple right to bear arms sign on the back: "I take my second amendment rights real seriously."
If I owned one of these I could change my bumper to stick to read "My rocket has killed less people than Ted Kennedy's car" That would be sweet.
It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?
Hell, I can drive my car on a paved road above 14,000 feet.
"And this is my boy, Sherman. Speak, Sherman." "Hello." "Good boy."
As technology advances, it becomes tougher for the small-scale individual to do pretty much _anything_ themselves. I'm really psyched that this guy is trying.
When airplanes were new, anybody could build a decent one that would compete with at least the low-range commercial ones. Same with computers, cars, operating systems (but then, hey, look at Linux now!). I guess what I'm trying to say is that no matter how may people call this dude a fool, I think he's doing something really cool =:-)
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Play Six Pack Man. I
Concur.
and if it's anything like the systems that shot down the Iranian airliner "by mistake", it only has to fail once for this rocket guy to skydie.
Count on it to fail at least twice.
Failure number one: Mistaken identity is made, live fire at Rocket Guy.
Failure number two: The fucking thing misses Rocket Guy cleanly and then goes on to take out a 757 minding its own business at 45,000 feet, two states over.
Is it fascism yet?
One problem is that Carmack's H202 suppliers demanded that he sign papers saying that he wouldn't concentrate the H202 any further, IIRC.
You've got to hand it to Carmack, he takes things seriously.
One of Carmack's biggest problems now is where to launch his rocket, as the parachute descent could end anywhere within a few dozen mile radius, and it's hard to secure that large an area. He's seriously considering going to a powered landing just so he can land it at a particular place.
The X-Prize is seriously hard. I'd be surprised if anybody actually makes it by the specified cut-off time of Jan 1 2005.
thad
I love Mondays. On a Monday, anything is possible.