Boeing Explorer Rocket Group Edwards AFB Tour & Campout

June 23-25, 2000

The Boeing Explorer Rocket Group (BSA Explorer Post 526) conducted its fourth overnight activity on June 23-25, 2000. This visit to Edwards Air Force Base included camping at the South Track Scout Camp (named for a nearby high speed ground test site), attendance at a Southern California Timing Association speed trials event on Muroc Dry Lake, swimming, bowling, and a movie on the base. The highlight of the weekend was conducting our launch competition on Sunday morning at El Mirage Dry Lake, approximately 30 miles south-east of Edwards. The competition was between three teams to build and fly a rocket to an altitude closest to 450 feet. Inclinometer measurements made during the launches will be used to decide the winning team.

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We decided to camp instead of staying at the base youth center, and opted for cooking a few meals so the group would have more of a "real camping" experience. Left: Alex shows how to make pancakes while Sarah observes.

Left: Sue Beatty & Lesli Blake demonstrate pasta preparation. Right: Melvin and Nadia help themselves to some delicious pasta while Mary Montes waits her turn.

The planned base tour didn't happen, so we had some extra time to relax around the campsite and find alternate things to do on the base. Here are pictures of Maria Tarn, Melvin, and Jim Hoggatt at the Southern California Timing Association event being conducted at Muroc Dry Lake.

Maria Tarn discovered a swimming pool on the base, with SHOWERS! That helped us shed the layer of dust that we picked up at Muroc Dry Lake. Here Melvin, Hughey, and Jennifer play in the pool.

Left: Nadia, Charles (hidden), Ryan, Asdrubal, and Melvin conducted a practical experiment in the laws of probability. Right: Asdrubal uses a skymapping program on the laptop to help in skygazing at the campfire on Saturday night. We saw an Iridium flare at 10:02:38 PM, as Iridium satellite #53 passed by our camp.

Bowling has become a tradition for us in the evening on base campouts. Left: Travis seems very happy with this toss. Right: Asdrubal reveals little emotion with this strike.

Left: Ryan and Charles with simultaneous strikes. Ryan is showing off his biceps. Right: Brandon does a victory dance after one of his strikes.

Left: Jim Hoggatt gets a strike. Right: Lesli Blake smiles after throwing one for herself.

Left: Bob Tarn is happy with this spare. Right: Maria Tarn almost got this one!

On Sunday morning, we packed up and headed for El Mirage Dry Lake, where we set up for rocket launches. Left: Charles, Brandon, Joe Berroteran, Jonathan, Alex, and Melvin set up the launch pad and launch control center. The four-station launch controller designed by Jonathan, Charles and Robert with assistance from mentor Joe Berroteran worked great, with warning lights and buzzers! Right: Asdrubal & Melvin get their competition entry ready for lift-off.

Left: Jonathan at the launch control panel, with Lesli Blake and Charles in the background. Right: Brandon recording the launch sequence.

Left: Launch controllers and observers at the launch control center. Standing: Ernie Acosta, Travis, and Joe Berroteran. Seated: Lesli Blake, Sue Beatty, Donna & Brandon. Thanks to Boeing Facilities Operations, we had the life-saving portable canopy to provide some shade from the desert sun on this hot (and humid) June day. Right: We have lift-off!!

This was the view from the trajectory altitude observation post, located 0.15 miles (790 ft.) to the East of the launch pad and launch control center. Thanks to Boeing Telecommunications, we had portable radios to communicate between the launch control center and the observation post, because none of us can remember our semaphore!

At the trajectory altitude observation post, we stationed a crew of inclinometer operators who spotted the maximum altitude of the rockets using inclinometers built by the students. Left: Jennifer, Alex, Hughey & Nadia measure the angle between the ground and the point at which the rocket achieves apogee, while Gene & Lillian Berwager look on. Right: Charles, Asdrubal, and Melvin take a shift at altitude measurements while Lillian Berwager and Jim Hoggatt observe and Mary Montes records data.

The only significant mishap that day was when a booster on "Sidewinder" exploded on the pad. This is NOT a good thing to EVER happen! Left: Ryan shows the damage that occurred to the engine mount. Right: A close-up of the damaged rocket, the booster core that was found on the ground near the launch pad, igniter, and a few fragments of the engine

Here is Ryan's report to the engine manufacturer regarding what happened to the "Sidewinder" booster:

To: warranty@aerotech-rocketry.com
Subject: Motor Question
Date: Sun, Jun 25, 2000, 4:22 PM

Hi , my name is Ryan and i launched an Estes AIM-9 sidewinder kit with an
Aerotech single-use 18mm D21-7T today twice. The first launch went perfectly
but my question is about the second launch. As i had continuity , we launched
and something ignited but the full propellant did not fire. this explosion
caused the destruction of the lower half of the motor mount , shredding it in
the process. I have pictures on camera of the rocket immediately after the
misfire and would be happy to send them your way. My question is about
reimbursement for the rocket , as this was not a design flaw because it flew
fine for the first launch, but i spent much time assembling this rocket and i
feel this situation falls under the guidelines of your warranty for
single-use 18mm engines ...

""" Single-Use Motors (model rocket and high power): Covered one (1) year
from date of purchase: Case rupture, failure of delay charge to ignite or to
remain lit (i.e., partially remaining delay element), failure of ejection
charge to function (must have intact ejection cap or no exterior charring of
forward bulkhead), nozzle or bulkhead ejection, case or bulkhead
burn-through.
"""
Please respond as soon as possible.

Thanks , Ryan