Tag Archives: UCLA

May 2017 meeting

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The RRS monthly meeting was held May 12, 2017. We started at 7:41pm.

The RRS was glad to welcome LAPD Southeast officers Acuna and Terrazas from the Community Safety Partnership (CSP). The nationally recognized CSP program has been very successful in improving community relations in areas of Los Angeles and the RRS is discussing how to bring one of our classes to students in Watts this summer.

LAPD Community Safety Partnership

We had a few parents stop in the meeting with their kids also interested in working with the RRS and learning more about membership with our society.

To all groups interested in working with the RRS, our contact is:
events@rrs.org

The RRS was glad to welcome several new student members from UCLA and a few new full members this month. We had a launch event on April 29th that helped UCLA test several of their technologies in advance of the 2017 IREC competition at the First Annual Spaceport America Cup in New Mexico.
2017 IREC competition – Spaceport America

For those interesting in applying for membership with the RRS, our application form is available on our RRS.ORG website under “FORMS”.

RRS.ORG – FORMS, membership

The RRS will hold a launch event at the MTA on June 3rd. UCLA will launch a pair of RRS standard alphas and betas with a few smaller carbon-fiber and fiberglass rockets with 1 lb air-frames and F50 motors. This launch event is the culmination of the undergraduate class, MAE 157A, which is a fluid dynamics and aerodynamics instructional laboratory for the Spring 2017 Quarter at UCLA led by Professor R. Mitchell Spearrin. The RRS is glad to support UCLA in giving university students a place to demonstrate their hands-on knowledge.

UCLA MAE instructional labs

Drew Cortopassi of the Aerospace Corporation paid us a visit. Aerospace Corporation is interested in conducting some tests with the RRS at the Mojave Test Area. Once a formal written request is submitted to the RRS, the society will examine the best way to proceed.

For any private organizations wanting to work with the RRS, please contact the RRS, president, Osvaldo Tarditti.
president@rrs.org

This month, a member managed to acquire a cryogenic LNG tank that would be very useful asset at the MTA. The RRS is working on the logistics for bringing this new acquisition to the MTA for use in future liquid propulsion projects.

The SuperDosa project update will have to wait for next month’s meeting as we ran out of time.

I have been updating the RRS membership roster, but some did not receive the email for the symposium back in mid-April. As people move, sometimes our contact information falls out of date. To all of our membership, please contact me to make sure your email and other contact information is up to date.
secretary@rrs.org

Meeting adjourned at 9:11pm. Our next meeting will be June 9th. If there’s anything I missed or needs correction, please let me know.
secretary@rrs.org

MTA launch event, 2017-04-29

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The RRS was happy to host UCLA at a launch event at the Mojave Test Area (MTA) on Saturday, April 29th.

UCLA Rocket Project working at the MTA

UCLA conducted a set of static fire tests and a launch. The purpose of the testing was to prove key parts of their larger IREC rocket including their wireless ignition system to be used at the IREC competition at the Spaceport America Cup in New Mexico.

Spaceport America Cup

UCLA Rocket Project, system checks

UCLA igniter tests

UCLA loads their rocket on the RRS rail

UCLA poses before their demo rocket

UCLA’s demo rocket takes off from the RRS rail

The rocket flight was partially successful and the recovery system worked well enough.

Some tests were successful, others not so much. A lot was learned at the MTA and the RRS was grateful to assist UCLA.

We are also thankful to Osvaldo and Richard for the photos and to our pyro-op, Jim Gross, for supporting the event.

Jim Gross oversees a test setup for UCLA

For other universities looking to use the MTA, please contact the RRS.
president@rrs.org

If there are any updates or corrections. Please let myself or Richard Garcia know.
secretary@rrs.org
research@rrs.org

Please note the next RRS monthly meeting is in Gardena on Friday, May 12th.

2017 RRS symposium was a success!

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The RRS held its 2017 Rocket and Space Exhibition and Symposium today, April 22nd, at the Ken Nakaoka Community Center in Gardena.

pulling up the banner

2017 RRS symposium

In attendance was Orbital-ATK, Aerospace Corporation, Tyvak, Navy Air Weapons Center at China Lake, the China Lake Museum, Rocketry Organization of California (ROC), University of California Los Angeles, University of Southern California, California State University Long Beach, University of California San Diego, University of California Irvine, Cal Poly Pomona, California Institute of Technology, Oregon State, Mars City Design, Spaceport LA and the Magnolia Science Academy.

Many of the university groups and private companies were exhibitors at the event.

UCSD SEDS group

UCLA Rocket Project

USC Rocket Propulsion Laboratory

The Rocketry Organization of California (ROC) had a great exhibit.

Rocketry Organization of California (ROC)

Mars City Design and Spaceport L.A. were both at the exhibition.

Mars City Design

Mars City Design

Mars City Design

Spaceport L.A.

The China Lake Museum also had a great display for their museum in Ridgecrest, CA, soon to be unveiled to the public.

China Lake Museum Foundation

China Lake Museum

Also, we were very fortunate to have a lot of rocketry equipment on display (on loan) from Norton Sales.

TRW pintle engine on display, courtesy of Norton Sales

Norton Sales – North Hollywood, CA

thrust chamber on loan from Norton Sales at the RRS symposium exhibition

Rocketdyne Atlas vernier engine

The RRS SuperDosa full-scale mockup was also on display.

The RRS SuperDosa rocket, full-scale mockup

Also a fine piece from Apogee Astronautics, a Viper 3A booster, on loan to the RRS symposium exhibition courtesy of Robert Kleinberger.

Viper 3A booster on loan from Apogee Astronautics

Many current and former members of the RRS were at the symposium.

Larry Hoffing, Niels Anderson, Chip Bassett, George Garboden and John Mariano

Hal Duffy and Osvaldo Tarditti

George Dosa, at the RRS symposium

Richard Garcia, our director of research at the RRS, had his liquid rocket breadboard on display, one of several projects started at the RRS this year.

Richard and his liquid rocket breadboard

RRS liquid rocket vehicle breadboard, work in progress

John Mariano and Larry Hoffing were both on hand at the RRS table all day at the symposium to talk about the society’s rich history and our recent work with local schools including Hermosa, Compton’s Rise Academy and the Girls Academic Leadership Academy of LA USD.

John Mariano at the RRS symposium exhibit

RRS exhibition at the 2017 symposium

The RRS looks forward to doing more events with schools as the importance of STEAM education is increasingly important. To anyone interested in doing rocket build events with the RRS, please contact the RRS at our events email: events@rrs.org

Osvaldo and Frank started off the symposium with the welcoming speech in the exhibition hall.

Frank Miuccio, RRS VP, gives an opening speech

I had the pleasure of giving the first presentation on the RRS’s history, present and future goals.

Dave Nordling, RRS past, present and future

We had presenters running throughout the day. Our presenters gave great speeches. We had a lot of participation from industry, academia and government with a good range of topics.

Warren Frick of Orbital-ATK presents at the RRS symposium speaker series

Matt Walker of NAWC China Lake presents at the RRS symposium

Dr. Jamie Bock of Cal Tech Astronomy Department presents on the CIBER project

Mars City Design has been in partnership with the RRS. Vera Mulyani gave a great presentation on their goals. On behalf of the RRS, Frank donated an alpha to the Mars City Design team for their upcoming “An Evening on Mars” dinner event on May 25th. An Evening on Mars – May 25, 2017 The RRS is glad to be working with Mars City on this ambitious project.

An RRS alpha is donated to Mars City Design

We are very grateful to all who came and to the Ken Nakaoka Community Center for hosting our event.
Ken Nakaoka Community Center – via Facebook

Also, we had a lot of great volunteers who we are indebted for making setup and teardown go swiftly and smoothly.

Dave Nordling, Richard Garcia, Bill Janczewski

The RRS thanks all of our volunteers!

Some of the photos on this post are courtesy of Tony Richards. Thank you for taking those, Tony. If there’s more photos anyone would like to share, please let me know.
secretary@rrs.org

Also, the RRS wants to thank Tacos Los 2 Amigos for providing lunch just outside of the community center. Many people appreciated and enjoyed it!

Tacos Los 2 Amigos – Yelp

In early April, I put out a group of emails to everyone that is on the RRS mailing list that I have. At the symposium, some of our current and former members have said that they didn’t receive the notice. As it seems our mailing list hasn’t been reaching everyone, please email me at: secretary@rrs.org and I will be sure to make the update.

Also, if any of our membership is having trouble accessing the members content on the RRS.ORG website, also, please let me know. I can talk to our webmaster and get that resolved.

The RRS is looking forward to next year’s symposium and if anyone has any feedback or any suggestions for improvement for next year’s symposium, please contact Frank.

vicepresident@rrs.org

We’ll be having a launch event at the MTA this next Saturday, April 29th, with UCLA doing a static firing and a launch. I hope there will be other launches we can do at this event.

Also, our next RRS meeting will be Friday, May 12th, 7:30pm, in Gardena. Please come out as we’ve got a lot of exciting things planned this summer and fall.