MTA launch event, 2019-09-21

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Larry Hoffing, Events Coordinator, RRS

Photo credits: Osvaldo Tarditti

The Reaction Research Society held another launch event with the LAPD CSP. This event was with the students of Boyle Heights. We had ten standard alphas launched into the blue Mojave sky that day including some model rockets made by Russell Hoffing and my grandson.

A lot of different groups came out for this launch event at the RRS MTA, 09-21-2019

We had students from the CSU Long Beach liquid rocket team come out to make some measurements for sub-system testing that they are planning at the RRS MTA this year.

CSU Long Beach inspects the vertical mounting structure at the RRS MTA
Model rockets in the George Dosa building undergoing preparation for launch
Students from Boyle Heights get their orientation instructions at the RRS MTA
RRS events coordinator, Larry Hoffing; RRS VP, Frank Miuccio and RRS president, Osvaldo Tarditi

Returning RRS member, John Krell, had worked up two prototype instrumentation packages for flights in the ninth and tenth RRS standard alphas on that day. Both rockets were recovered and the results were impressive.

John Krell arms his payload integrated into one of two RRS standard alphas, 09-21-2019
One of John’s prototypes survived the flight and is laid out on the table in the Dosa Bldg.
John Krell examines the recovered SD memory chips to determine the flight profile from the RRS alpha. Over 100 G’s of acceleration at take-off max’d out the sensor!

Materials have been acquired to repair the adjustable rail launcher that was damaged in early August this year. Osvaldo has been busy at work on the repairs. The RRS has several facility improvement projects in the works and we hope to bring this rail launcher back to service soon for larger rockets (4 to 6 inches).

John will hopefully have a full report and an overview of his design. Both Bill Behenna and Brian Johnson are also working on their own instrumentation designs for the RRS standard alpha. With this recent progress, this should help our others members take better data.

Still photo from RRS alpha #3 of 10 launched at the MTA on 09-21-2019.

We’ll discuss more of the results of this event in detail at the next RRS meeting on October 11, 2019. The RRS meets every 2nd Friday at the Ken Nakaoka Community Center in Gardena, California. Stop in and see how things went.

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