Saturday, January 11, 2014 at 1:33PM Roy Potter has crunched the numbers, deciphered your handwriting & consulted his Ouija board, resulting in a compendium of launch details for the last few launches. Click on the "Read More" link to get the whole skinny... dr
Wednesday, January 1, 2014 at 7:22PM Here's a blog entry from Sean Carroll, a theoretical physicist at CalTech, about a series of movies on Turner Classic Movies each Friday in January.
Here's a LINK to his blog post. They start this Friday with "For all Mankind", made from NASA footage and interviews with the Apollo crews, tells the story of that program.
Sean's blog is pretty good as well, worth reading if you're into the search for the Higgs particle and such things.
dr
Wednesday, December 4, 2013 at 8:54PM Well, while we were waiting to fly last week comet ISON, the visitor from the ort cloud, came by and paid the sun a little visit... you might have read about it. Some of you may remember that I've referenced Randall Monroe's online comic XKCD here before and he's got a great take on ISON here. XKCD is a great example of a really smart person with a wicked sense of humor and WAY too much time on his hands. He's also got the site "What If...", a kind of web-based, mister wizzard meets agony-aunt column where he solves questions posed by readers involving physics, math, science, and outrageous attention to detail.
There's also a thought provoking XKCD on habitable planets that may be in our "back yard", and it gets you thinking. It's here.
Remember, December's launch window will be here before you know it... get crackin'!
dr
Monday, November 4, 2013 at 8:33PM Got a note from Chuck Haislip saying that Orangeburg has had to move their November launch, originally scheduled for the 9th & 10th, back to the 23rd & 24th.
Apparently the homecomming game for USC is that weekend, and the next weekend is the Jehovis Witness national conference and there's not a hotel room to be had for 30 miles on either weekend.
So for those looking for an after Thanksgiving launch, you may want to look to the south...
dr
Sunday, November 3, 2013 at 9:20PM We're BAAAACKK!
October photos from Roy & John B. are up in the gallery. If you've got some, please post 'em or send my way at:
rocketrycarolina at gmail dot com.
Thanks... Doc R
Monday, August 12, 2013 at 8:30PM Come on, I just know you are experiencing Rocket Exhaust Withdrawl symptoms.
It has been a bad weather dominated flying season this year, so...
I suggest attending Freedom Launch, the annual East Coast Rocket Meet!
Saturday thru Monday, “Labor Day” weekend ( 31 Aug – 1 – 2 Sept. )
Hoasted = by the Orangeburg NAR (ROSCO) and Tripoli (ICBM) Chapters.
Web site = rocketrysouthcarolina.com
This is like an annual pilgrimage for the most of us so even if your not planning to fly, it is well worth it
to go and just watch the show.
Multiple venders are available for those things that you haven’t been able to get hold of for a while.
Fliers have come from as far North as Maine, as far south as Florida and as far west as Texas.
Fliers or groups who have a rocket project that they can only fly once a year, and want it to be seen,
they bring it here. So you can always expect a show.
Not to say that there are no Low or Mid Power fliers. The kids can outnumber the adults.
Usually, they have at least 12 or more Low Power pads set up with 12 or more Mid Power
and High Power pads, and about 4 High Power Away Cells.
So there is usually no back ups with plenty of pads available.
From the Charlotte area. (The Orangeburg club flies off a “Super Sod” Farm)
Travel Time = from I-77 at Harris Blvd is 2 hours 40 minutes
Take I-77 South to where it ends at Columbia SC.
Merge off the end of I-77 onto I-26 South.
Take I-26 S to Exit 154A (Hwy 301) towards OrangeBurg.
The Super Sod farm is only about ¼ to ½ mile on the Left.
Staying over? (ask to see if there is a Freedom Launch discount )
Days Inn, 1-803-534-0500, Across the I-26 Hwy from the site, Minimal services but has a pool.
Quality Inn and Suites 1-803-531-9200, Exit 145A south (Hwy 601) off I-26.
3671 Saint Matthews Rd (Hwy 601). More services and restaurants within walking distance.
There are many other places to stay at the same exit, 145A off I-26, do a Map Quest for a list.
Flight Fee = Last Year was $10 a day and maybe $25 for the weekend.
Sat, 31 Aug. and Sun, 1 Sept. ( Information as known at this time. )
Sport Launch.
SAT = 10 am till 7:30 pm.
SUN = 10 am till 7:00 pm.
Open to all fliers up to their Certification Level. Levels “0” thru “3”
Those wanting to make Certification Flights need to make arrangements with available judges.
Ceiling of 10,000 ft daytime. Expected flights over 6,000 ft need to check with Safety Officer first.
Sunday Night Launch ? Don’t know for sure, but if there is =
Rockets must be illuminated throughout flight. Usually has a 3,000 ft altitude waiver.
Monday, 2 Sept, (Labor Day)
Tripoli members only = Research/Experimental flights.
(A slower laid back day with longer prep times followed by fantastic flights.)
Cert Level 2 and 3 Research/Experimental flights.
Certification flights of Level 1 to Level 2, and 2 to level 3.
New this year, TRA and NAR Sport flights can be flown up to your certification level
with commercial motors only.
Hope to you all out there wearing the ROCC "T" shirts, show the colors dudes!
Roy, ROCC Sec.
Friday, July 26, 2013 at 7:21AM It's still a swamp out in Midland folks, so it looks like we're in a NO-GO situation for this weekend, sorry to say. The field is still pretty soggy from the continuing rain, getting just enough to stay nice and spongy, without enough sun and heat to dry things out. Apparently the mossies are still thick and fast as well. It was a slim chance we had, but alas 'tis not to be.
Work on your projects for O'burg and we'll keep watching the skies. Anybody got a really big umbrella?
jb & rr via dr
Tuesday, July 16, 2013 at 9:51PM Johnny: It's wet.
Ed: (How wet is it?)
Johnny: Ha! Well, ah, It's so wet... ya gotta have scuba gear to get out of the car....
John Bergsmith ventured forth to the farm yesterday and I'll let him describe the situation:
"I was at the farm yesterday to inspect the conditions. The runway is a little soft, but usable. The lower field is very soft and would make recovery a very muddy experience. The upper field is soft but seems to be drying out. The corn is 6 to 8ft tall and dense.
Saturday, July 13, 2013 at 8:31AM Just While looking around for the Proton failure story I ran across this site...
http://www.russianspaceweb.com/index.html
It's the Russian space program equivalent of our space flight now site.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013 at 9:57PM This, from Ars Technica... LINK
Apparently the folks who built the motion/velocity sensor package for that Proton rocket had had a few too many vodkas the night before they did the assembly....
dr