Rocket 00

[Natalya]

So, my cousin and I are going to launch a rocket tomorrow. Using potassium nitrate and sugar we have created a pound of solid rocket fuel and packed it into an empty beer can with a fuselage built around it. Here I will detail for you our operation.


PHASE 1: 25 December 2012
Tonight we built the rocket and the fuel. We also conducted some tests.




The rocket body. It is built around soda cans.




This can is the engine module. It will hold the rocket fuel.




Speaking of which, here is the fuel. We mixed the potassium nitrate and the sugar, added water, heated and mixed the water to dissolve the components into it, and so here we are boiling the water out.




This will be the nozzle stuck in the bottom of the engine module. Thrust will (hopefully) be directed out the metal tube. The rest is a blast shield to protect the cork from disintegration.




Packing the fuel in. The pen will sit there to allow there to be a tube all the way down. This creates more surface area and allows for a faster burn, which will generate more lift.




The completed fuselage assembly.




The ignition. This is some very thin packing paper stuffed with match heads and given a fuse. It will light the engine.




The rest of the fuel is now packed into the engine module. Almost exactly 1 pound.




Total weight of the rocket. 450 grams are fuel, or a little over 80%. This is probably good. The energy output of the fuel isn't that high, but this should get it off the ground and into the air if it doesn't just straight-up explode.




A test rocket. 76 grams empty. I packed it with 40 grams of fuel.




Ready to go. It didn't launch very far, but it did get into the air. The actual rocket will have a much better fuel-to-weight ratio.




Completed engine module assembly, ready to be put into the rocket.




Here is the rocket, assembled with the fuel module. There is no payload, but we will record the launch (or explosion) tomorrow in the early afternoon.

[Overwatch_Elite]

You should send a brave minifigure to go where no brick has ever gone before.

Well legos have gone to space but a BRIKARMS minifigure has never gone to space (I think)

[Kalvinator]

Awesome, can't wait to see what becomes of it.

[Colette]

You should have painted it white with dark red highlights. Then the Assyrian Star Empire would have developed a true hyperweapon.

[Natalya]

Final assembly. Screws were put through the sides of the engine module into the cork to secure the nozzle against the incredible thrust that would be generated.




Only one minifig was qualified for this mission. Given the incredible likelihood of failure or crushing impact on landing if the rocket did succeed, only Psycho of the CSR was judged capable of handling this mission.




Psycho in the cockpit.




After adding some extra stabilizers, Rocket 00 is ready for take-off.

[Natalya]

Rocket 00 on the launch pad. Conditions were cold and windy.




The launch pad is incredibly ghetto, but whatever.




Mission Control is right behind the launch pad.




On the tower, ignition in place, cameras rolling. Rocket 00 is ready for launch. A YouTube video of the launch is coming soon.

[Tzan]

Could you get inside Mission Control?

[Overwatch_Elite]

He was a brave warrir

[Natalya]

Could you get inside Mission Control?

Hell yes.

Those guys in the pic are cousins of mine. One on the left helped design the ignition system and prepare the fuel.

[Overwatch_Elite]

Could you get inside Mission Control?

Hell yes.

Those guys in the pic are cousins of mine. One on the left helped design the ignition system and prepare the fuel.

one on the right is p cute

[Overwatch_Elite]

invite the badage boys onto the rocket

[Natalya]

Whatever so I was going to get this on YouTube, but I'm making some background music and it's not done yet. So I'll give you a written account of what happened.

The wind was very high, we had to light the fuse with a propane torch. Matches and regular lighters just weren't cutting it. Whatever.

When the engine ignited it smoked up all crazy and exploded. The nozzle was blown off the back, ripping the engine module can to shreds. Fuel left inside launched the rocket and it cleared the tower, so I call this a success, but it basically just exploded on launch. I don't have pictures of that, but I do have some of the results. I will explain them below.





This is the rocket and the charred remains of the nozzle. The fuselage was not damaged and can (AND WILL) be re-used.




Take a look at that. The back basically got shredded when it blew the nozzle out.




The nozzle. The blast shield protected the cork, but a little too well. The screws in the sides shredded the end of the beer can that they were attached to, meaning fuel flew out the back and blew up all over the ground.




This is the engine module (beer can) after being removed from the rocket. Check out that wicked hole burnt in the side.




Total destruction. Next launch will use a soup can because the thicker gauge of metal used should make it stronger. We will also use a better nozzle design. Well, better in the sense that I don't think it will allow the back end of the rocket to be ripped to shreds.

The point is that the rocket cleared the tower, so Psycho did indeed blast off. He just didn't get very far because most of the fuel burned up as it exploded out the back of the rocket. In BrikWars terms, the annihilation of the fuel module coupled with the partial success of the launch means that this was an incredible victory in the eyes of the Stud God.

[Overwatch_Elite]

So it was a suicide mission all along

Either that or muslim extremists

Might as well bomb Israel just in case
And the white house

Not because obama is there though

[Natalya]

Dude FBI is going to be all over you for saying that. :/

[Overwatch_Elite]

Dude FBI is going to be all over you for saying that. :/

Out of all the shit I've said and done I think insulting Obama is pretty low on the list of things I should be arrested/shot for.