Other Notable Launches

The Unknown Launcher	Flying Porta Potty. You should see the "parachute."

The rocket being held by the Unknown Launcher is a pretty typical size out there. Most of these launch on I and J engines and will pass 10,000 feet. To launch an H or I engine you need Level I certification. To get this you have to build the rocket yourself (though kits are okay), have it checked by a sponsor who is already Level I, and launch and recover it successfully. J, K, and L engines are Level II, and M and above are Level III. Level IV is for experimental Ls and above. An M engine will set you back about $350. The larger rockets also carry quite a bit of electronics. Most of them have electronics for deploying the parachute at a certain altitude (which didn't seem all that reliable), many carry altimeters, and some carry radio transmitters for tracking them or wireless video cameras. Here's an interesting site about video rocketry - we talked to one of the brothers who does this out there.

There was a group of guys who came out from Minnesota for the launch with a rocket they built that uses an M engine. It's about 12 feet tall with plywood fins. It took four of them to carry it out there, a fifth guy was following along with a ladder. It took maybe an hour for them to get it prepped on the pad, and we were all very anxious to see it fly. Its engine was called a Green Gorilla, for reasons that can be seen in the image below. It was loud and bright. Because of the mass of the rocket it was a slower ascent off the pad than most of the other launches. We all stood in awe as it shot up into the sky, and enjoyed the grandeur of it arcing over at its apex, just scraping the bottom of the cloud cover. It was even beautiful as it continued its arc over and headed back to earth. "Uh ohs" started to be heard soon thereafter as people began to recognize that there should have been an "event" - you know, an ejection charge firing or something like that.

Screaming Green Gorilla, dressed in orange.	Heading home.

The LCO then blasted the air horn, warning everyone to look up and run away if necessary. Now I've never been in a real war, I haven't been under fire, and I've never been the target of a missile. And let me tell you that I am especially thankful for that now. Just hearing this thing come whistling straight down to the ground was enough to give you some religion real fast.