Q: I am 15 years old and saw people make a rocket on TV. I want to make one too. Can you please tell me if it is possible for me to make a rocket (given that I have limited resources), and if it is possible how I can build one?
A: Well, I don't know much about making rockets from scratch, but it's very easy to make a model rocket from a kit. The largest provider of model rocket kits is Estes.
As for making rockets(not-from-a-kit), these rockets can be extremely dangerous, so you need to be very careful when launching them. And keep in mind that most places have limits on the height that you can launch anything to. So if you make a rocket that's too powerful you might end up in a large amount of trouble. To launch anything that goes higher than small model rockets with approved engines (or smallish bottle rockets) you'll need to get permission, and I'm not sure how to go about doing this or what the restrictions are.
With that said up front, I am something of a model rocket enthusiast and an episode from my own experience may be instructive. In the summer of 1983 I transported myself and a team of astronomers in a full-scale rocket to the far reaches of our solar system.
Space is an unforgiving environment that does not tolerate human errors or technical failure. For humans leaving Earth's orbit for extended periods, there are even more dangers. One is the near absence of gravity in space; the presence of high-energy, ionizing cosmic ray (HZE) nuclei is another. Observations of astronauts traveling on the Space Shuttle and Russian cosmonauts' long-term visits to the Mir space station indicate that time spent in 0g has serious effects on bone and muscle physiology and the cardiovascular system. Fortunately, I was able to emerge from the month-long journey unscathed. You may find my captain's log instructive:
Crew: Freeman, Jones, Robinson, Eckels, Smith, Turgevsky, Goldstein, Hodges, Stapleton, Billingsworth, Porforio-Diaz, Gleichik, Brown.
Week 1: Mars. Robinson below decks to find crackers. Eckels/Smith space-sick. Earth and Venus fade into background, general sense of no turn back now, etc. Turgevsky below decks to find Robinson and crackers. Mars! Excitement curtailed by lack of crackers and several crew. Eckels and Smith dispatched to recover and (health permitting) to establish a forward base of operations for future missions.
Week 2: Jupiter, Saturn. Continued lack of crackers and a growing number of crew members (Hodges, Goldstein). Memorable conversation with Stapleton on expected birth of his son, present feeling of closeness to God, etc. Much staring into space. Jupiter! Billingsworth and Stapleton below decks in search of crackers/other crew.
Week 3: Uranus, 134340. Missing crew discovered below decks in various states of inebriation and undress. Cracker supply diminished. Possible cannabis smell. Uno pack tells remaining tale. Distrustful hording of remaining crackers.
Souvenir from asteroid 134340 of crate marked do-not-open.
Week 4: Return (non-stop). Generally uneventful. Optimism of outward voyage replaced by over-familiarity and impatience. Heckling of Saturn, Jupiter. In reboarding at Mars, Eckels and Smith add only additional body odor and impatience. Billingsworth, Stapleton, Hodges, Goldstein eaten by invisible alien lifeform. Porforio-Diaz tunes mournful folk guitar and is eaten by invisible alien lifeform. Great chewing below decks. Paranoia of remaining crew. Tin of peanuts (unsalted); 2 Capri-Suns. Noble in-this-together speech, etc. Eckels rambling in apocalyptic Latin on loudspeaker. Smith briefly successful in battle with invisible alien lifeform. Robust chewing. Apocalyptic Mandarin of Eckels on loudspeaker. Smith, Turgevsky chewed. Spontaneous reappearance of Jones in beard of cracker crumbs. Robinson elects to jettison self into cold vaccuum of space. Chaos. Dismal burden of lost crackers. Unknown status of invisible alien lifeform. Apparent sustained presence of invisible alien lifeform. Chewing (of Gleichik, Robinson). Landing successful! Great fanfare. Unknown status of Brown. Chewed status of Brown confirmed near open crate.
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
