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Amateur Rocket to Carry Ham Radio Payload to Space
n1ywb writes "An amateur rocket team this month will attempt to send a 21-foot-tall rocket carrying a ham radio avionics package into the fringes of space. The launch by the Civilian Space Xploration Team (CSXT) could occur as early as Monday, May 17. Some 20 months ago, the last CSXT try to reach space ended some three seconds after launch when the rocket's engine exploded. Avionics Team Leader Eric Knight, KB1EHE, says CSXT has since rebounded from that devastating blow with a newer, bigger vehicle. In terms of Amateur Radio, the GoFast rocket will transmit telemetry on the 33-cm amateur band and Amateur TV at 2.4 GHz using a high-quality color camera. The avionics also incorporate multiple global positioning system (GPS) systems to record the vehicle's precise location and flight path, redundant data acquisition and storage systems, and a variety of data sensors. Plans call for the solid-fuel rocket to zip upward from the desert floor and reach a speed of more than 4000 MPH in about 9 seconds. The suborbital vehicle will attain an altitude of 100 km or 62 statute miles--high enough to be considered 'space'--linger there for a couple of minutes then arc back to Earth some 26 miles down range. The whole thing will take somewhat less than a half-hour. If successful it would mark the first amateur rocket launch into space."
"Hey, it blew up!"
"Guess we better build a bigger one."
Sounds like management at my company...
The amateur anti-missle defense club will try to shoot it down.
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
Didn't you get the press release? They need to achieve an altitude of at least 50 miles in order for the broadcast to be heard over the interference of your local powerline broadband provider. Space has nothing to do with it.
In all seriousness I wonder what the impacts on a mission like this would be? Yet something else to consider in our BPL debate. Queue up the hams (I'm one of them) and the "broadband at any cost to the rest of the world" arguments!
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
Actually the site says they intend for the recovery to be parachuteless, they decided to see what the effect of such a tall rocket would be if it impacted Lindon, Utah at several thousand miles per hour. Darl McBride will be waiting at the landing site with a target strapped to his forhead to aid in the experiment.