Saturday, December 27, 2008

Grand Rapids Model Rocket Society

I am not personally a member of the esteemed Grand Rapids Model Rocket Society, but I know quite a few such folks.  They are fun, creative, and always looking for a (legal) good time.  I got to go watch one of their rocket launches this fall - they have one every month, but I only made it to one this fall.  There were all sorts of rockets, home-made the night before the launch.  I hope to go make a rocket sometime and launch one of my own.  One of my favorites was made by my friend Brent.  He made his rocket 6 feet tall.  It was a bit too tall for the launch pad, actually, which fostered even more creativity among the Society as they tried to figure out how to launch such a rocket.  Eventually, with the aid of some supportive devices, the rocket was stabilized enough for a launch to take place.

The rocket shot up straight and true, and it’s self-contained parachute opened promptly at the rocket’s peak altitude.  It was so funny to watch a half dozen grown men (boys?) run haphazardly across the field, trying to determine exactly where it would fall so that they could catch it before it hit the ground.  I was surprised at how accurate their guesses turned out to be, because they caught that rocket in midair.  Here they are, triumphantly bringing it back.

Success!

Posted by Emily MacLeod on 12/27 at 11:48 AM
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