How many people have built a space shot rocket?

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NTP2

NTP2

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I know it’s been done but I want to know how many and also stuff like if it was a solo thing. Edit I mean a amateur HPR rocket that goes higher than 100km
 
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NTP2 said:
I know it’s been done but I want to know how many and also stuff like if it was a solo thing. Edit I mean a HPR rocket that goes higher than 100km
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Are you looking for purely amateur efforts or are you including corporations and/or universities?
 
On the contrary - I don't think it's been done yet by true amateurs.
I mean .... people who self-funded (no sponsors) their efforts.... people who are not in the rocket biz.
Go Fast doesn't qualify IMO.
 
I'm not L1 yet, so I haven't sent anything beyond 2000 feet, although I've got a modded Star Orbiter that I'm planning to stuff a G into and waving bye-bye. Although getting to the Karmann Line sounds like an interesting bucket list item, I live on the wrong coast. NJ isn't exactly space shot central. I'll leave that up to people who live in Nevada, or are members of FAR, and at least have youtube sponsors -- because my guess is that you need about $50,000 at least, of spare money to hit Karmann.
 
FredA said:
On the contrary - I don't think it's been done yet by true amateurs.
I mean .... people who self-funded (no sponsors) their efforts.... people who are not in the rocket biz.
Go Fast doesn't qualify IMO.
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It’s ok if sponsors I just don’t want a university or something just 1 guy or girl.
 
NTP2 said:
BPS space is on that path
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And although the lead is Joe, he definitely has some helping hands. If you follow his 'Simplex" motor build, he has to keep going to other people to get the propellant mixed and debubbled. Although you *think* you can do it "alone", it's going to be more than one person assisting. Just loading the rocket onto the tower is going to take 4 people, then there's telemetry, tracking, driving duties, helping to set up the tent in the desert, yadda yadda. You're never doing anything that big by yourself. You'll need multiple vehicles just to drag all the crap you'll need out into the middle of nowhere. You need an FAA waiver. Heck, you probably need FAA approval to launch anything that's going that high.

Back in college I made a 30-minute animated film "by myself", but if you read the end the credits, it's really more than 30 people contributing to the overall effort, although without a doubt, it was my film since I was doing the writing, directing, producing, most of the animation, cel-painting, backgrounds, co-ordination, and ordering the pizza. But big projects always have multiple sets of hands.
 
techrat said:
And although the lead is Joe, he definitely has some helping hands. If you follow his 'Simplex" motor build, he has to keep going to other people to get the propellant mixed and debubbled. Although you *think* you can do it "alone", it's going to be more than one person assisting. Just loading the rocket onto the tower is going to take 4 people, then there's telemetry, tracking, driving duties, helping to set up the tent in the desert, yadda yadda. You're never doing anything that big by yourself. You'll need multiple vehicles just to drag all the crap you'll need out into the middle of nowhere. You need an FAA waiver. Heck, you probably need FAA approval to launch anything that's going that high.

Back in college I made a 30-minute animated film "by myself", but if you read the end the credits, it's really more than 30 people contributing to the overall effort, although without a doubt, it was my film since I was doing the writing, directing, producing, most of the animation, cel-painting, backgrounds, co-ordination, and ordering the pizza. But big projects always have multiple sets of hands.
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What was it? Also true.
 
NTP2 said:
It’s ok if sponsors I just don’t want a university or something just 1 guy or girl.
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A singular person doing a project like this seems sad, lonely and a waste of valuable resources.

And besides, the simple fact is it takes more than one person to load the grains into a motor capable of this altitude. 😉
 
Teams are OK. Self-funded teams. I doubt a single person will ever do it.
But if they are taking money from entities outside the team they are sponsored and therefore being "paid" in some fashion which makes them "pro's" in my book.
University teams don't count either IMO - they are using facilities and equipment that "regular" people do not have access to - also getting credit for their work is a type of payment. It becomes their "job."
 
USCRPL Traveler 4, the only student designed and built amateur rocket to break 100km. The money they raised went to building the rocket, making the support equipment. They rented propellant loading, testing, and launching facilities, the same facilities anyone can rent. You are not a "regular" person if you build space launch rockets, alone or as part of a team.
 
FredA said:
Teams are OK. Self-funded teams. I doubt a single person will ever do it.
But if they are taking money from entities outside the team they are sponsored and therefore being "paid" in some fashion which makes them "pro's" in my book.
University teams don't count either IMO - they are using facilities and equipment that "regular" people do not have access to - also getting credit for their work is a type of payment. It becomes their "job."
Click to expand...

Any sufficiently constrained problem is a null set:

This standard appears to mean one cannot fly w/ Tripoli since it is largely a volunteer organization and using its’ launch services is accepting a defacto donation from outside the team as well as getting access to facilities and equipment the “regular” folks can’t access.

Likewise any national range since they—by law—are constrained to marginal cost pricing of commercial users who are, accordingly, getting a benefit from the USG.

Bill
 
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NTP2 said:
I know it’s been done but I want to know how many and also stuff like if it was a solo thing. Edit I mean a amateur HPR rocket that goes higher than 100km
Click to expand...

Amateur and HPR are different things although they can overlap.

If by HPR we mean “used commercially purchased motors” then the answer is no one has so done.

Bill
 
To got space at Balls, you're getting your own COA and bringing your own pad.
TRA helps, but compared to the effort it's pretty minor. Plus you pay to launch at Balls.
Sure you can rent launch facilities too - why not - just pay for it within the team.

What I'm talking about who built the vehicle and the source of all the parts and funding.
 
FredA said:
With over $1M spent and corporate logo's all over the vehicle, I'd say not. But clearly I've not seen the books.
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I do not recall corp logos on Ky's rocket. Ky has millions himself so was mostly self funded as far as I knew. I have his book somewhere , but with all the books and papers I have not something I can find anymore... I saw his recovered payload in Geneseo NY the next year at LDRS and even had a Pic with me next to it.
 
Art Upton said:
I do not recall corp logos on Ky's rocket. Ky has millions himself so was mostly self funded as far as I knew. I have his book somewhere , but with all the books and papers I have not something I can find anymore... I saw his recovered payload in Geneseo NY the next year at LDRS and even had a Pic with me next to it.
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“Go Fast” is a corporate logo; as were the other, earlier rocket names.

I’m surprised that there is anyone who does not know this: Ky was quite open about it at the time.

Bill
 
Art Upton said:
I do not recall corp logos on Ky's rocket. Ky has millions himself so was mostly self funded as far as I knew. I have his book somewhere , but with all the books and papers I have not something I can find anymore... I saw his recovered payload in Geneseo NY the next year at LDRS and even had a Pic with me next to it.
Click to expand...
Fuscient was also the backup sponsor for the 2004 Go Fast rocket.
 

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