over 120,000 ft - Carmack prize winner?

[Sooner Boomer]

I guess this might be pushing the envelope for folks here, but this is amazing. This was an attempt to break 100,000 feet with an amateur rocket and claim the Carmack MicroPrize https://www.armadilloaerospace.com/n.x/Armadillo/Home/News?news_id=376. The rocket is a sounding rocket powered by a 143,000 N/sec Q-18,000. The rocket is 8" in dia. and 167.5 long. It exceeded mach 3 on the way up (nd melted a plastic shroud over one of the camera lenses from friction!). More at their web site, including videos: https://ddeville.com/derek/Qu8k.html

 

[jms]

Yeah we were just chatting about this flight today when I went to write my cert exams.

Here's the YouTube:

[YOUTUBE]rvDqoxMUroA
[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Rocketman248]

Yep. Been discussed in several threads.

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?t=27340

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?t=27360

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?t=27310

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?t=27335

 

[mjennings]

It is getting press around the web at large too

https://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/10/amateur-rocket-qu8k-reaches-121000/#more-87925

 

[Superewza]

Bit of a bump, and it is impressive, but what happened to the Mercury-Redstone 1:1 scale rocket that was 'supposed' to launch at BALLS 20?

 

[MClark]

Bit of a bump, and it is impressive, but what happened to the Mercury-Redstone 1:1 scale rocket that was 'supposed' to launch at BALLS 20?

What I was told.
They switched the effort from the Mercury to finishing the Gates Saturn 1B and that did not get done.
The hold up is now the launch tower, it will be used for both rockets

Mark

 

[Superewza]

Same tower for both? Would the considerable size difference between them not make that a bit inconvenient?

Even so, i wonder if they've contacted Copenhagen Suborbitals. Their Sputnik sea launch platform should have at least some parts that they could reuse (somewhat easier if they're launching from land, but they both have to transport it), and i'm sure they would share given their support of the open source 'movement'. No need to reinvent the wheel

[youtube]XSVts6ITunQ[/youtube]

 

[MClark]

That is what I was told by someone involved.
I think shipping tower parts half way around the world would not be cost effective.

 

[Superewza]

I didn't mean use their actual launch tower, i meant use their design, or at least some of their design elements. Saves you a lot of pre production work, and their design is relatively simple to make, cheap and stable (more so if you're launching on land not water). After all, what's the point in making your project Open Source if you don't have anybody to share it with?

Even so, i wouldn't completely discount the ability of the UC3 Nautilus to trawl half way around the world with the platform in tow