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AmSpace project

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Charles Pooley

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Apr 16, 1995, 3:00:00 AM4/16/95
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As we are short handed, we have not as yet had time to write up much in the
way of articles. following this is two articles, the 1st from Dec 93 about
a talk on the project which describes the rocket itself. The 2nd is from a
newsletter of the Los Angeles chapter of National Space Society (Oasis),
and describes a talk given at a California Space Development Council
meeting in May 94.

When more material is written up, it will be circulated. We are still seeking
active involvement, preferably local.
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AMATEUR GROUP GETS FUNDING FOR HIGH ALTITUDE ROCKET

The Pacific Rocket Society, like most hardware oriented rocket building
groups is used to out-of-pocket funding for their rocket projects. Now
things may change. Last September the PRS made an agreement with the
National Space Society, one of the largest space advocacy organizations,
to build and launch a rocket capable of carrying a ten kilogram payload
to an altitude of over 50 miles. The funding is to cover costs of
materials, propellants and other components. The payload will be supplied
jointly by both organizations.

This is a significant and new development in amateur rocketry, and maybe
also in the ways commercial space causes might be promoted. It should
be by far the highest performing amateur rocket built so far.

A secondary objectivet will be to establish a "rocket infrastructure", a
standardized system of components, sources of materials and means of
fabrication. This will make it possible for future rockets to be built
more easily rather than having each new project start form scratch.

The design approach being adopted makes use of cheap, easily available
materials such as extruded aluminum tubing for the propellant tanks
and other structure.

The basic structure involves the use of a number of long tubular tanks,
half containing ethyl alcohol and the others liquid oxygen. This choice
avoids the problems associated with design and fabrication of larger
diameter tanks arranged in tandem with a highly stressed intertank
structure. This also allows the tanks to be of equal size.

For six tanks, they will be each about 13 feet long and four inches in
diameter, each holding 30 liters of propellant at a pressure of 300
pounds per square inch. The tanks are to be arranged around a core
containing a 10 liter liquid nitrogen tank, a heat exchanger, valves,
and the engine. It will be about 20 feet long overall and about 13 inches
wide with three fins extending about a foot from the engine area.

It is expected that the complete rocket will weigh less than 150 pounds,
and with 400 pounds of propellant, weigh about 550 pounds at launch.

It will, for the first flight, carry telemetry electronics to make some
performance related measurements, such as propellant and engine pressure,
some temperatures, dynamic pressure, and perhaps, a doppler transponder.

Though launched from a tower and guided aerodynamically, there will be
two experimental optical guidance devices, which will report via
telemetry their response. Both measure the direction to the sun, and
the horizon. With the sun at least 30 degrees away from zenith this
will give a three dimensional reference without resorting to gyroscopes.

The remaining challenge of the first flight will be to recover the
rocket intact. This will be done by having a pair of page size panels
extend out from each fin, to act as air brakes. These will deploy near
the peak altitude as determined by the onboard accelerometer, and they
will decelerate the rocket so the air speed will be low enough for
parachutes to work.

The parachutes will consist of a drogue chute which will deploy at about
20 thousand feet, and a main chute at about 10 thousand. A Rogollo wing
type used by skydivers is being considered, so the landing point of the
rocket might be less far away.

We are trying for the May to July period, from the Black Rock Desert
horth of Reno, a popular location for amateur rocketeers.

A presentation of this project is the subject of our technical meeting
on December 15.
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Amateur Space Project Discussed at CSDC Meeting in May

The NSS funded AmSpace I project was outlined by
Charles Pooley, president of the Pacific Rocket
Society. Also the objectives of a newly formed
working group to advance the idea that amateurs
could be developing access to space was presented.

The project itself was initiated by Margaret Jordan
of the national office of NSS, and the objective was
to have an anmateur rocket group "reach space". It
was decided that a payload exceeding 10 Kg should be
sent to at least 50 miles. Current estimates are for
the rocket to attain about 70 miles.

The rocket being built is to be fueled with liquid
oxygen and 75% ethyl alcohol, the same as used in the
V-2. The propellant is to make up at least 2/3 of the
lift-off weight in order to attain the necessary vel-
ocity of over 4000 feet per second.

The structure is to feature use of a bundle of six
lengths of irrigation tubing to provide a simple,
cheap but strong structure. It is hoped that the
materials cost of the rocket airframe will be less
than three dollars per pound, so that a series of
these can be built on a small budjet.

The first flight is to be sometime late summer or
early fall in northern Nevada. Telemetry is to include
a test of a prototype of a video based guidance, and a
GPS reciever to indicate the actual altitude attained
is planned.

AmSpace Working Group

Charles initiated, and is chair of the new working
group with the objective of advancing the idea that
amateurs should be doing much more than has been
accomplished so far. They have yet to approach the
level of accomplishment of Dr. Goddard of 50 years
ago, in spite of the high level of technology readily
available thes days.

Among the goals:
* To establish a community of interest in achieving
space access by desining and building launchers.

* To try to repeat the history of the microprocessor
(remember the Computer Faire and the excitement in the
early '70"s?).

* To try to explore paths to space other than the
"mainstream" Cold War based path.

* To create an infrastructure organization for the
facilitation of amateur space activity.
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