4 ms·

Any idea what kind of permitting or permission they had to go through to launch this? I'm assuming you can't just take what's basically a missile and go into th

Any idea what kind of permitting or permission they had to go through to launch this? I'm assuming you can't just take what's basically a missile and go into the dessert and shoot it without the FAA knowing about it.

ceejayoz 2y ago
You need a waiver over 18k feet. https://www.faa.gov/space/licenses/amateur-rockets https://www.faa.gov/space/licenses/amateur-rockets / https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/pham_html/chap31_section_2.html https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/pham_htm... A little higher (150km) and this would've been out of the realm of amateur rocketry entirely.
- lostlogin 2y ago
  I misinterpreted your comment initially, you’re citing the FAA: ‘To qualify as an amateur rocket, the launch must be suborbital, not have any humans onboard, remain under 150 km (93.2 statute miles), and have a total impulse under 200,000 lb-sec (889,600 Newton seconds).’ I’m sure you would get punished but what are they going to do about your rocket once it’s up there?
  - ceejayoz 2y ago
    Wait for it to come back down, then fine you.
    - canadianfella 2y ago
      [dead]
    - thrw42A8N 2y ago
      Ah, so either explode or go even further, got it.
Loudergood 2y ago
A local rocketry club has standing clearance to 10,000ft and I know lots of college teams come from 6 hours away to take advantage of it. Check your local clubs, you can see impressive launches on at least 1 weekend a month.
LorenPechtel 2y ago
You need FAA waivers to send stuff up there. There comes an altitude (18k IIRC) above which all airspace is controlled, you're not supposed to be up there without following the directions of the relevant tower and carrying a transponder that they can talk to. But an amateur rocket has no ability to follow such directions so you have to get FAA permission to get exclusive access to a chunk of airspace. Of course the FAA doesn't give out such waivers willy nilly, they expect the amateur rocket community to minimize the need. Thus there are launch sites in the middle of nowhere that have launch windows where the big stuff is allowed. They also self-regulate on availability of the big motors. The guys who make them won't sell them to anyone who isn't certified, other than as part of a launch to get said certification which is done under the supervision of someone who is certified. They don't have the force of law but so far it's worked. (And there's the separate issue of the hazmat rules about those big motors--most people can neither legally store nor transport them. Take delivery at the launch site and use them.)
- pclmulqdq 2y ago
  I have participated in a few high-altitude balloon launches before, and those basically all have a transponder on them, as well. You have to let the FAA know the time window and get a waiver on the "launch" site, but those can be unpredictable in the atmosphere (some have limited steering of altitude), and you have a (very low) chance of getting somewhere a commercial flight might want to be.
- doug-moen 2y ago
  Note that this record setting flight to 143km did not use an off the shelf motor. They built their own motor, integrated into the airframe for lightness and to reduce the cross section. Ammonium perchlorate propellant.
tagami 2y ago
This was launched under a FAA waiver. Black Rock Desert is one of the places to go in the US if you want to do this. They'll open up a cylinder to the sky. I wasn't there, but I venture that this was done with support from Tripoli Rocketry Association at BALLS. Launching at BRD is where I first met Elon Musk where he was there with 5 sons (at the time) to watch them launch golfball nosecone rockets with 3d printed fin cans. There is an annual competition that precedes the main event called ARLISS.org

ceejayoz 2y ago

You need a waiver over 18k feet. https://www.faa.gov/space/licenses/amateur-rockets https://www.faa.gov/space/licenses/amateur-rockets / https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/pham_html/chap31_section_2.html https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/pham_htm... A little higher (150km) and this would've been out of the realm of amateur rocketry entirely.

lostlogin 2y ago
I misinterpreted your comment initially, you’re citing the FAA: ‘To qualify as an amateur rocket, the launch must be suborbital, not have any humans onboard, remain under 150 km (93.2 statute miles), and have a total impulse under 200,000 lb-sec (889,600 Newton seconds).’ I’m sure you would get punished but what are they going to do about your rocket once it’s up there?
- ceejayoz 2y ago
  Wait for it to come back down, then fine you.
  - canadianfella 2y ago
    [dead]
  - thrw42A8N 2y ago
    Ah, so either explode or go even further, got it.

Loudergood 2y ago

A local rocketry club has standing clearance to 10,000ft and I know lots of college teams come from 6 hours away to take advantage of it. Check your local clubs, you can see impressive launches on at least 1 weekend a month.

LorenPechtel 2y ago

You need FAA waivers to send stuff up there. There comes an altitude (18k IIRC) above which all airspace is controlled, you're not supposed to be up there without following the directions of the relevant tower and carrying a transponder that they can talk to. But an amateur rocket has no ability to follow such directions so you have to get FAA permission to get exclusive access to a chunk of airspace. Of course the FAA doesn't give out such waivers willy nilly, they expect the amateur rocket community to minimize the need. Thus there are launch sites in the middle of nowhere that have launch windows where the big stuff is allowed. They also self-regulate on availability of the big motors. The guys who make them won't sell them to anyone who isn't certified, other than as part of a launch to get said certification which is done under the supervision of someone who is certified. They don't have the force of law but so far it's worked. (And there's the separate issue of the hazmat rules about those big motors--most people can neither legally store nor transport them. Take delivery at the launch site and use them.)

pclmulqdq 2y ago
I have participated in a few high-altitude balloon launches before, and those basically all have a transponder on them, as well. You have to let the FAA know the time window and get a waiver on the "launch" site, but those can be unpredictable in the atmosphere (some have limited steering of altitude), and you have a (very low) chance of getting somewhere a commercial flight might want to be.
doug-moen 2y ago
Note that this record setting flight to 143km did not use an off the shelf motor. They built their own motor, integrated into the airframe for lightness and to reduce the cross section. Ammonium perchlorate propellant.

tagami 2y ago

This was launched under a FAA waiver. Black Rock Desert is one of the places to go in the US if you want to do this. They'll open up a cylinder to the sky. I wasn't there, but I venture that this was done with support from Tripoli Rocketry Association at BALLS. Launching at BRD is where I first met Elon Musk where he was there with 5 sons (at the time) to watch them launch golfball nosecone rockets with 3d printed fin cans. There is an annual competition that precedes the main event called ARLISS.org