Project MESOS. A two-stage flight to 293,488 ft!

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Kip_Daugirdas

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I flew my latest rocket to 293,488 ft (that’s 55.6 miles high) and reached speeds over 4 times the speed of sound. This was a massive effort for me that spanned several years (2020-2022) and tested me, at times, to the limits of my sanity. I dreamt and daydreamed of this result but always knew that failure was the most likely outcome with projects of this nature. I’m still reeling from the success. Check out these initial photos and enjoy!

Rocket Info….
Booster: 4.50” / Sustainer: 3.00” diameter
Weight: 87lbs at pad
Length: 12.3ft
Payload: 2x GoPro 9 with rectilinear lenses (one shooting 4K/60fps and the other photos)
Avionics sustainer: Multitronix Kate 3.0, Featherweight Raven 4
Avionics booster: 2x Featherweight Raven 4, Beeline GPS
Motors:
Experimental O4500 (32,943 N-s at Sea Level)
Experimental M830 (7,743 N-s at Sea Level)

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A 45 degree blast deflector and two concrete patio stones could not keep the playa from being excavated!

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O4500 boosting to Mach 2.2 on the first stage!

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At apogee. Looking west at the California/Oregon border. You can see Mount Shasta and the Pacific Ocean! Who knew Nevada had an ocean view!?

G0021266-2.jpg

At apogee. Looking north, not much to see but some crispy sustainer (2nd stage) fins from the Mach 4.2 ascent.

_D753892-2.jpg

Raising the tower with my pad helpers Noah Joraanstad and Joe Hepworth.

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MESOS is the rocket name because it was designed to fly into the mesosphere (atmospheric layer above the stratosphere). However it reached the lower portion of the Thermosphere thanks to its over performance.
 
Congratulations on the super impressive flight! Am I reading it correctly that you had an almost 17 second staging delay?
 
Wow! That’s an incredible flight.

Am I interpreting this right that after the sustainer burnt out, the rocket coasted for 2 minutes from 62,316’ to 293,488’? That’s a long coast…
 
Any idea what the total cost of this project was? I feel like this is going to set an example of how to do an amateur space shot. Very few individuals or small groups could muster the resources to make a 12" S motor.
 
The picture with Mt Shasta in it is pretty amazing. That really gives a sense of the scale.
 
incredible. I can only dream of accomplishing something like that. Keep going and get to the Karmen line!

Congrats!
 
Congratulations on the super impressive flight! Am I reading it correctly that you had an almost 17 second staging delay?

Indeed, that's how you make free altitude, momentum. Staying above mach is also really important. Use all that free momentum to get to the thinner air and then use the sustainer. No use in burning propellant to plow through the thick air. That's what the O is for.
 
Holy crap!!!!! This is amazing. Great work!
 
I feel like this is going to set an example of how to do an amateur space shot.

On top of that, the total impulse on this flight was 40,686 Ns. That is just under the class-3 threshold. This was a class-2 flight!


Exactly, on both points. An O-M flight? Very, very impressive.
 
I am amazed what we can do in the hobby these days!
On top of that, the total impulse on this flight was 40,686 Ns. That is just under the class-3 threshold. This was a class-2 flight!
Indeed Impressive.

A nit, but I think any flight over 100k is automatically a C3 flight regardless of impulse.
 
I flew my latest rocket to 293,488 ft (that’s 55.6 miles high) and reached speeds over 4 times the speed of sound. This was a massive effort for me that spanned several years (2020-2022) and tested me, at times, to the limits of my sanity. I dreamt and daydreamed of this result but always knew that failure was the most likely outcome with projects of this nature. I’m still reeling from the success. Check out these initial photos and enjoy!

Rocket Info….
Booster: 4.50” / Sustainer: 3.00” diameter
Weight: 87lbs at pad
Length: 12.3ft
Payload: 2x GoPro 9 with rectilinear lenses (one shooting 4K/60fps and the other photos)
Avionics sustainer: Multitronix Kate 3.0, Featherweight Raven 4
Avionics booster: 2x Featherweight Raven 4, Beeline GPS
Motors:
Experimental O4500 (32,943 N-s at Sea Level)
Experimental M830 (7,743 N-s at Sea Level)

View attachment 540348

A 45 degree blast deflector and two concrete patio stones could not keep the playa from being excavated!

View attachment 540349

O4500 boosting to Mach 2.2 on the first stage!

View attachment 540350

At apogee. Looking west at the California/Oregon border. You can see Mount Shasta and the Pacific Ocean! Who knew Nevada had an ocean view!?

View attachment 540351

At apogee. Looking north, not much to see but some crispy sustainer (2nd stage) fins from the Mach 4.2 ascent.

View attachment 540352

Raising the tower with my pad helpers Noah Joraanstad and Joe Hepworth.

View attachment 540353

MESOS is the rocket name because it was designed to fly into the mesosphere (atmospheric layer above the stratosphere). However it reached the lower portion of the Thermosphere thanks to its over performance.

Amazing flight, Kip! Tremendous accomplishment!
 
I flew my latest rocket to 293,488 ft (that’s 55.6 miles high) and reached speeds over 4 times the speed of sound. This was a massive effort for me that spanned several years (2020-2022) and tested me, at times, to the limits of my sanity. I dreamt and daydreamed of this result but always knew that failure was the most likely outcome with projects of this nature. I’m still reeling from the success. Check out these initial photos and enjoy!

Rocket Info….
Booster: 4.50” / Sustainer: 3.00” diameter
Weight: 87lbs at pad
Length: 12.3ft
Payload: 2x GoPro 9 with rectilinear lenses (one shooting 4K/60fps and the other photos)
Avionics sustainer: Multitronix Kate 3.0, Featherweight Raven 4
Avionics booster: 2x Featherweight Raven 4, Beeline GPS
Motors:
Experimental O4500 (32,943 N-s at Sea Level)
Experimental M830 (7,743 N-s at Sea Level)

View attachment 540348

A 45 degree blast deflector and two concrete patio stones could not keep the playa from being excavated!

View attachment 540349

O4500 boosting to Mach 2.2 on the first stage!

View attachment 540350

At apogee. Looking west at the California/Oregon border. You can see Mount Shasta and the Pacific Ocean! Who knew Nevada had an ocean view!?

View attachment 540351

At apogee. Looking north, not much to see but some crispy sustainer (2nd stage) fins from the Mach 4.2 ascent.

View attachment 540352

Raising the tower with my pad helpers Noah Joraanstad and Joe Hepworth.

View attachment 540353

MESOS is the rocket name because it was designed to fly into the mesosphere (atmospheric layer above the stratosphere). However it reached the lower portion of the Thermosphere thanks to its over performance.
I knew Noah's parents, Kent & ShirleyAnn, small world. I recall them telling me he did L1, L2, L3 nearly all at once!
 
Super impressive, would love to see more details of the design and build. Congrats!
 
Wow, I guess those eggfinders really DO work!
I can't take credit for this one, he used a Multitronix Kate 3.0. Honestly, if I was going over 100K I'd use one too... Vern's stuff is the best there is. And the price reflects it, too... but sometimes you gotta pony up for it, like this one for example.
 
Was this at "Balls"?

Amazing just isn't saying enough by several orders of magnitude!

Massive congratulations are due.

Clearly you did your homework!

Brad
 
Kip, that is an absolutely incredible achievement. Congratulations to you and your team!

I actually got a little choked up looking at those pics! AWESOME!!!
 
That is incredible. What was the total time of flight, from lift-off to touchdown of the last part of the rocket?
Meanwhile, back to my Baby Bertha project.....
 
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