And you all thought you could get rid of me for a while.
My retreat into obscurity to attend to other areas of my life lasted about 10 days, at which point I was told in no uncertain terms that I'd have a lot more free time (and a little bit more money!) at my disposal moving forward, with this notice coming largely as a byproduct of the Sunday Silent/Balls effort. So, with that in mind:
Background
I let the "right person, wrong time" ship sail about a year ago - I have goals I want to accomplish that to me are what life's about. I did not make the choice lightly, and have woken up thinking about it most days since. One thing is clear to me - I have a responsibility not only to myself, but actually to the both of us to see these aspirations realized and to let no subsequent challenge or conflict stand in my way. So, I plan to live up to that. Verruckt and Sunday Silent were steps toward that effort, but that's just the beginning. I have a long way to go, and once I've realized my rocketry goals, I have some Himalayan goals to chase that are far more taxing on a domestic situation than a rocketry project; the period of no contact is measured in months, not days or weeks, and there's always the very real possibility of never coming home. So, I'd better get going on writing my story before it's time to turn in the keys.
Over the weekend, I drove 802 miles to visit an old friend and mentor of mine, a friend who's flown a rocket or two in his day (understatement of the year). We got to talking about my Balls project, and how some friends and I have been spitballing about getting a high-altitude launch together for mid-January. We talked about big motors and the waiver I have to work with (75k'). "It'd have to be pretty damn inefficient to stay under 75k' with a big motor," I thought. But I already have a 1/4" wall P motor case (it's heeeeaaaavy); I've had it for years. Doing a mass inefficient P project would ironically be far cheaper than the hyper-efficient two stage I had been thinking of, and plus, who doesn't like the visceral effects of a big motor. I had a Rambo-like torture recollection of writing the check to the machinist that made the Sunday Silent thin-wall motor parts, and the deal was sealed. My Class 3 app is due in 5 days, saddle up.
I'll have a couple months to put this together, so it'll be pretty chill, and it'll be far less customized than my last project (basically it's a 6" Verruckt). Early sims on the motor show a 58,400ns P6400 with the Sunday Silent propellant. The numbers look awesome - oh, the joy of non-super high L : D motors, how I've missed you. Hopefully we can add about 10k' to the Sunday Silent total, make a cool big motor, take full advantage of the waiver, and put another notch in the belt. Upscale of the Sunday Silent fincan, electronics in the nosecone, yada yada yada.
The name is a famous quote from someone I've looked up to since I was a child (who was actually recently portrayed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt in "The Walk"). After breaking in to the World Trade Center overnight and walking a tightrope from tower to tower with no safety harness during the early morning rush hour, Philippe Petit was arrested and brought to court. When told he'd be let go if he provided sound reasoning for his stunt, he replied "there is no why...people ask why I risk death, but to me, this is life."
When I was 13, I went to climb Washington's Mt. Rainier (later turned out to be the start of a lifelong obsession). After being the youngest one on the summit to that point that summer and feeling my life's first delirious exhaustion and the accompanying irrevocable accomplishment that I would come to crave, I met Beck Weathers at Base Camp (ironically, also recently portrayed in the "Everest" movie). Beck lost an arm, both feet, a hand and his nose chasing his dream in the Himalayas. He was one of the lucky ones. This stuck with me; chase your dreams at whatever cost is required and let nothing stand in your way. No sleep, some money and some loved ones, that's what I've given so far. That's nothing. Onward we go.
In 1924, George Mallory stood on Sandy Irvine's shoulders at 28,250 feet and free-climbed the notorious second step of Everest's north ridge in patent leather boots. His oxygen had run out. While never proven, the evidence all points to his summiting after nightfall against all protocol, burying a picture of his wife and son on the summit, and attempting to downclimb the mountain's uncharted South side since he'd be unable to downclimb the second step with Irvine having descended. He was to die on the way down, and Hillary (climbing 29 years later) would be credited with the first ascent. The only reasoning he ever gave for the goal that ultimately took his life is, "I will climb it because it is there."
Mallory and Petit go a long way in illustrating my approach to things...my "it" that is there for the taking is the opportunity to do some pretty cool things in the aerospace field as a complete and total amateur in the short term, and eventually, the same "it" Mallory referred to. Then we can turn in the keys and get on with a "normal" life. Maybe.
Documenting the journey is important to me, hence the series of lurid threads. Sorry if it doesn't fit the vibe of the forum, but it's either here or Microsoft Word, so figure I might as well share. Now to work on the C3 app.
-steve
My retreat into obscurity to attend to other areas of my life lasted about 10 days, at which point I was told in no uncertain terms that I'd have a lot more free time (and a little bit more money!) at my disposal moving forward, with this notice coming largely as a byproduct of the Sunday Silent/Balls effort. So, with that in mind:
Background
I let the "right person, wrong time" ship sail about a year ago - I have goals I want to accomplish that to me are what life's about. I did not make the choice lightly, and have woken up thinking about it most days since. One thing is clear to me - I have a responsibility not only to myself, but actually to the both of us to see these aspirations realized and to let no subsequent challenge or conflict stand in my way. So, I plan to live up to that. Verruckt and Sunday Silent were steps toward that effort, but that's just the beginning. I have a long way to go, and once I've realized my rocketry goals, I have some Himalayan goals to chase that are far more taxing on a domestic situation than a rocketry project; the period of no contact is measured in months, not days or weeks, and there's always the very real possibility of never coming home. So, I'd better get going on writing my story before it's time to turn in the keys.
Over the weekend, I drove 802 miles to visit an old friend and mentor of mine, a friend who's flown a rocket or two in his day (understatement of the year). We got to talking about my Balls project, and how some friends and I have been spitballing about getting a high-altitude launch together for mid-January. We talked about big motors and the waiver I have to work with (75k'). "It'd have to be pretty damn inefficient to stay under 75k' with a big motor," I thought. But I already have a 1/4" wall P motor case (it's heeeeaaaavy); I've had it for years. Doing a mass inefficient P project would ironically be far cheaper than the hyper-efficient two stage I had been thinking of, and plus, who doesn't like the visceral effects of a big motor. I had a Rambo-like torture recollection of writing the check to the machinist that made the Sunday Silent thin-wall motor parts, and the deal was sealed. My Class 3 app is due in 5 days, saddle up.
I'll have a couple months to put this together, so it'll be pretty chill, and it'll be far less customized than my last project (basically it's a 6" Verruckt). Early sims on the motor show a 58,400ns P6400 with the Sunday Silent propellant. The numbers look awesome - oh, the joy of non-super high L : D motors, how I've missed you. Hopefully we can add about 10k' to the Sunday Silent total, make a cool big motor, take full advantage of the waiver, and put another notch in the belt. Upscale of the Sunday Silent fincan, electronics in the nosecone, yada yada yada.
The name is a famous quote from someone I've looked up to since I was a child (who was actually recently portrayed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt in "The Walk"). After breaking in to the World Trade Center overnight and walking a tightrope from tower to tower with no safety harness during the early morning rush hour, Philippe Petit was arrested and brought to court. When told he'd be let go if he provided sound reasoning for his stunt, he replied "there is no why...people ask why I risk death, but to me, this is life."
When I was 13, I went to climb Washington's Mt. Rainier (later turned out to be the start of a lifelong obsession). After being the youngest one on the summit to that point that summer and feeling my life's first delirious exhaustion and the accompanying irrevocable accomplishment that I would come to crave, I met Beck Weathers at Base Camp (ironically, also recently portrayed in the "Everest" movie). Beck lost an arm, both feet, a hand and his nose chasing his dream in the Himalayas. He was one of the lucky ones. This stuck with me; chase your dreams at whatever cost is required and let nothing stand in your way. No sleep, some money and some loved ones, that's what I've given so far. That's nothing. Onward we go.
In 1924, George Mallory stood on Sandy Irvine's shoulders at 28,250 feet and free-climbed the notorious second step of Everest's north ridge in patent leather boots. His oxygen had run out. While never proven, the evidence all points to his summiting after nightfall against all protocol, burying a picture of his wife and son on the summit, and attempting to downclimb the mountain's uncharted South side since he'd be unable to downclimb the second step with Irvine having descended. He was to die on the way down, and Hillary (climbing 29 years later) would be credited with the first ascent. The only reasoning he ever gave for the goal that ultimately took his life is, "I will climb it because it is there."
Mallory and Petit go a long way in illustrating my approach to things...my "it" that is there for the taking is the opportunity to do some pretty cool things in the aerospace field as a complete and total amateur in the short term, and eventually, the same "it" Mallory referred to. Then we can turn in the keys and get on with a "normal" life. Maybe.
Documenting the journey is important to me, hence the series of lurid threads. Sorry if it doesn't fit the vibe of the forum, but it's either here or Microsoft Word, so figure I might as well share. Now to work on the C3 app.
-steve
