Today was the perfect example of rough beginnings and a reminder that these are experimental vehicles, no matter how well the research, planning, development and projections are done.
Launches were to commence at 10:00 this morning. Union Grove High School was first up on the rail, but a leak was detected and they were bumped in order to fix the issue and keep the launches running as close to schedule as possible.
Next on the rail was Alamo Heights High School. There were several holds and the launch was delayed until after 11:22. The rocket was having an issue getting completely fueled which was slowing the launch.
Also Someone moved the cones at one of the barricades where the roads were shut down for the launch and proceeded to drive through. WSMR officials had to go secure the barricades and clear that section of the projected area again. This also delayed the launch.
During the delays, WSMR officials welcomed the parents and did a mini briefing for them in the Range Control auditorium, in lieu of the usual T-1 Briefing. During this time Alamo Heights students also gave their Student Rocket Presentations encompassing the details about and expectations of their vehicles.
Around 11:30 the decision was made that the rocket was as full as it was going to be able to achieve and therefore it was time to launch.
Before the launch I spoke with several of Alamo Heights students. According to them the vehicles name is Rocket with the R backwards like a Russian R. It is 20′ long with a diameter of 10″, weighing in at just over 600 lbs fully fueled. The payload was a Yeti cup with a Petri dish of penicillin and mold from a wallet. They intended to study the effects of radiation on both to see how it effected growth of the mold and if the penicillin became more potent.
Their recovery system was a mortar barrel system with 3 charges with a reefing system. The first charge released the nose cone, the second knocks the piston out of the barrel, deploying the third that releases the reefing lines. The vehicle also had a 3D printed nozzle which threaded into the fuel grain which was poured directly into the tube with threading at each end to hold it in.
The vehicles projected height was 56,000′. Unfortunately it did not achieve that today. Instead it ignited and traveled up about 20′ above the rail, turned on its side and crashed to the ground just behind the two launch trailers, where it continued to burn until the engine and fuel grain completely burned out.
This made the area unapproachable for quite some time, until all flames could be put out and the rocket cooled enough to be safe to move and asses damages in the area. Unfortunately, this caused the cancellation of all other launches for the day.
SystemsGo and WSMR personnel stayed at the site to clean up, and assess and repair equipment in order to continue launches tomorrow.
There will be many things for students to evaluate and learn as to why this incident occurred, and how to prevent it in the future. SystemsGo may have some suggestions and evaluations of their own.
Currently the rocket has been recovered and SystemsGo is at the range replacing hydraulic lines on the launch trailer that were melted and working to get the switching running again.
Tomorrow will be another 10:00 am launch start. This will mean that personnel going to WC50 will be leaving for the range at 6:00 am.
Those going to watch the launches from Range Control will be heading out at 8:00 a.m. to meet our rep in the gravel lot outside the main gate by 9:00 a.m.
Tomorrow’s launch schedule is as follows:
- 10:00 a.m. Union Grove High School
- 12:00 a.m. Anahuac High School
- 14:00 p.m. Marble Falls High School
- 16:00 p.m. Brazoswood High School
If it is a perfect day and all goes well with no exceptions with each launch, then only Fredericksburg High School’s and Booker T Washington High School’s two rockets would be left for Sunday.
Realistically, this is a very tight launch sequence with little to no room for errors. As we saw today, errors can and do occasionally happen and can cause severe delays in the launch schedule and hinder time availability.
If we do not get all four launches tomorrow, then they will carry over into Sunday time slots as allowed by WSMR.
Sunday is a contingency day if needed in which four more vehicles could launch, otherwise we will travel home that day.
Best of luck to all schools so that they may have a successful launches tomorrow.
Event details will continue to be available here. I will provide more information each morning as to how the schedule and other event details will progress for that day and how launches went for the schools testing that day. Pictures are not allowed on the range, but some pictures of teams getting ready to leave for the range with their vehicles might be available. If anything is available I will post it for your viewing pleasure.
www.systemsgo.org as always is the place for more information on this program. You may also email them at info@systemsgo.org. Take the time to get your school involved, the future of your students will be greatly benefited.
On the Wings of Angels 
I’ll keep my fingers crossed for better results for the next launches.
I refrain from commenting on the person who moved the cones and drove through.
LikeLike