Record-Breaking Model Rocket Launch Set For April 25 156
darkjohnson writes with this impressive excerpt from Rocketry Planet: "On April 25, 2009, history will be made. At Higgs Farm in Price, Maryland, Steve Eves will enter the history books as the person who flew the largest model rocket in history. The rocket will weigh over 1,600 pounds, it will stand over 36 feet tall and it will be powered by a massive array of nine motors: eight 13,000ns N-Class motors and a 77,000ns P-Class motor."
Re:So..... (Score:5, Insightful)
When the FAA and NASA know about it...
I think this dude has crossed a line (Score:4, Insightful)
What I'm trying to say is this dude's rocket ain't no model - he's launching a real rocket.
Surprised they let him (Score:5, Insightful)
Not joking here, i'm surprised the government has not stepped in and stopped him.
Re:So..... (Score:3, Insightful)
When it's more then a glorified pop-bottle rocket.
Which means it has to have active stabilization and a guidance package.
communications (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:So..... (Score:3, Insightful)
it's a model rocket because it's a 1/10th scale replica of the saturn V.
Re:Navy Vs FAA Cagematch (Score:4, Insightful)
And so does the guy at the FAA. While the FAA has jurisdiction over the granting of the airspace, I don't see that they will win in a dispute especially if the Navy is still using those proving grounds. The guy at the FAA who insists that they modelers not launch has one option to force the Navy not to let them launch: revoke the Navy's privileges. Now that's going to be a bureaucratic mess with all sorts of paperwork and battles. When their bosses step in and see what the dispute here's what they are going to hear.
Navy guy: The FAA is revoking our license to the proving grounds.
Navy boss: On what grounds?
FAA guy: The Navy is allowing prohibited actions on the grounds. We have the right to revoke. I have initiated the proper paperwork to revoke.
FAA boss: What prohibited actions are being allowed?
FAA guy: They are launching model rockets there.
FAA boss: So let me get this straight. You have initiated a move that involves at least 6 months of meetings and paperwork. And gotten us into a turf war with the Navy because you don't like them launching model rockets from their site. Gentleman, I thank the Navy for its time. This matter will be resolved here very shortly.
Re:Top Gear Space Shuttle (Score:1, Insightful)
Hey, silly person, don't you know that it only counts as the biggest if the USAians do it? Nothing outside the USA matters, after all.
Re:Surprised they let him (Score:3, Insightful)
> Why did they?
Because it is in their nature to grab for power and "terrorism" provided an excuse.
Re:Surprised they let him (Score:5, Insightful)
In order to justify it's existance and grow, a government bureau must continuously find new excuses to add layers of regulatory bureaucracy and new things to regulate. They were far far more interested in throwing their weight around and making people kiss their ass than they were in any sort of safety or public well-being.
The fact that the rocket engine cores cannot be made to explode even intentionally was irrelevant to them. A regulatory agency saw a group of people who they weren't directly regulating. The group was small enough to not create an inconveniently noisy public protest but large enough to stroke their collective ego.