50-Foot Rocket Built By Students Breaks Record

[Jerry Irvine]

http://www.space.com/33552-record-breaking-student-built-rocket-launch.html

Interns working for the private spaceflight company United Launch Alliance clearly aren't making copies and fetching coffee — they're building record-breaking rockets.

On Sunday (July 24), ULA launched the 50-foot-tall (15.24 meters) Future Heavy rocket out of Fort Carson Army Post, breaking the record for "the largest sport rocket launched anywhere in the world," according to a statement from ULA. The Future Heavy is also notable because it was built entirely by company interns and their mentors.

The Future Heavy, which is defined as a sport rocket (built for recreation, rather than professional purposes), carried four large payloads designed by interns at Ball Aerospace, according to the statement; it also carried 15 small scientific payloads designed by students from nearby K-12 schools and community groups. The rocket's apogee is about 10,000 feet (about 3,000 m) above the ground, members of the internship program told Space.com at the Space Symposium meeting.

[stefanj]

Solid? Hybrid?

[tbzep]

Solid? Hybrid?
With all that white smoke, the first stage is solid.

[Jerry Irvine]

http://thunda.com.au/rocketry-information/world-record-v2-rocket/

http://thunda.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/v2-05.jpg
Giant V-2 airframe
http://thunda.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/joe-fin.jpg
Giant V-2 fin.

I believe this rocket was bigger and also higher power.

Nobody is publishing enough specs to verify that simply.

Jerry

[Daddyisabar]

Here are the specs that were posted on that other forum:

50 feet tall. 1,245 lbs, 6,600 lbs thrust at liftoff, 8 motors in booster 4x N2000 4x O3400 and the 2nd stage had 2 x O3400. Launched from Fort Carson Army Base, ULA invite only with security clearance. The kids loved it. Lost it's fins and maybe parts of air frame but considered a successful sport rocket flight.

[Daddyisabar]

http://gazette.com/video-world-recor...rticle/1581094

http://www.ulalaunch.com/search.aspx?q=Future+Heavy

Looks like the ULA interns and K-12 students are officially now the sport's new TOP MEN! KIDZ these days! :)

[Daddyisabar]

Official video here;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cI9b2laBxcc&feature=youtu.be

[tbzep]

So the little rocket at top (like the WAC Corporal) was just for show? It fell away with the nose cone.

[frognbuff]

Here are the specs that were posted on that other forum:

50 feet tall. 1,245 lbs, 6,600 lbs thrust at liftoff, 8 motors in booster 4x N2000 4x O3400 and the 2nd stage had 2 x O3400. Launched from Fort Carson Army Base, ULA invite only with security clearance. The kids loved it. Lost it's fins and maybe parts of air frame but considered a successful sport rocket flight.

OK - you didn't have to have a security clearance! I'm sure those K-12 students have yet to undergo a background investigation.

Attendance WAS limited. I barely got a parking permit. Future Heavy may never fly again. Lots of damage, very difficult logistics. Better to have a project the interns can complete in one summer.