Tag Archives: Osvaldo Tarditti

MTA Launch Event, 2024-07-15

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by the Reaction Research Society

The Reaction Research Society (RRS) hosted a launch event with Aerospace Corporation at our private testing facility, the Mojave Test Area (MTA), on Monday, July 15, 2024. Osvaldo Tarditti served as the pyrotechnic operator in charge for the event. Winds were pretty low but temperatures were over 100F which is normal for this season.

The RRS was glad to welcome Aerospace Corporation as a repeat client serving their launch needs. There were 25 model rockets propelled by “F” motors, mostly successful with a few a little unstable in flight.

Chase Lang had loaded his first standard alpha and flew it. Disappointingly, the alpha only flew 4 feet before landing safely back at the MTA. There seemed to be some trouble either in the quality of the new batch of propellants we acquired or a failure to build up pressure at the start with the burst disk. A good reason to try again soon. Some of our other new members have expressed interest in loading and flying their own micrograin rocket. Although now an obscure type of propellants, zinc and sulfur powders remain our signature rocket.

Chase Lang brought his large 10-inch diameter high-power rocket “Thumper” with a clean paint job and a big M1600 motor. Launched from the RRS 1515 rail at the MTA, it was a great sight reaching 4,700 feet. The dual-deployment chutes worked well and the rocket was recovered downrange.

The society is glad to have the interms of Aerospace Corporation at the MTA again and also grateful to members Chase and Jeff Lang for coming out and launching.

The RRS meets every 2nd Friday of each month at the front office of the Compton/Woodley Airport at 7:30pm. Next meeting of the Reaction Research Society will be August 9th. Contact the RRS president for details.

MTA Firing Event, 2024-04-27

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by Dave Nordling, Reaction Research Society

The UCLA hybrid rocket team had a static fire event at the RRS Mojave Test Area (MTA) on Saturday, April 27, 2024, under dry and fair weather. Osvaldo Tarditti was the pyrotechnic operator in charge. I was able to assist him a few times in monitoring the progress. The UCLA team has advanced their custom grain and motor design and has improved their nitrous oxide feed system over the last few years. After having some operational challenges and resolving some leak testing issues, UCLA was able to conduct two static firings from the RRS MTA vertical test stand.

Bill Nelson and I met at the MTA to examine and assemble the propellant feed tanks and the associated valve manifolds that will be used in the static firing of the 1936 GALCIT engine replica the society built from a few archival sketches from Frank Malina and Jack Parsons.

RRS member Bill Nelson was able to repair the internal check valve inside our hydrotest pump and conduct a hydrostatic proof pressure test on both welded stainless pipe tanks we will use in firing the replica of the 1936 GALCIT liquid rocket engine prototype as part of the LACMA funded project for American Artist. Both tanks held 1.5 times the design pressure for 5 minutes without leak or bulging as expected.

Bill Nelson and I filled three of the larger gunny sacks with the sand that normally collects in certain areas around the MTA. More will be necessary to build a wall similar in size and appearance to those seen in archival photos in the Arroyo Seco in October 1936. The substantial weight of each required a motorized means of transport, but we were able to lay them next to the replica engine and vertical spring stand for a sense of scale.

Some of the other feed systems require further adjustment and design changes, but all is progressing nicely to an expected first firing with regulated nirogen gas pressurized liquid methanol and regulated gaseous oxygen propellants in the month of May 2024.

For use of the RRS MTA, contact the RRS president.

Next RRS monthly meeting will be Friday, May 10th, at the front office of the Compton/Woodley Airport at 7:30pm.