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Spaceport to host
Amateur Spaceflight launch
By GARRETT BRYCE, Journal Staff
January
29, 2003
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Garrett Bryce /
Friendswood
Journal
Nic Radford, Steve Weismuller and Robert
Morehead of the Amateur Spaceflight Association assemble equipment for
their launch on Feb. 8.
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While it won't reach space, the rocket
launched is a stepping-stone for another group with a goal in common with the
Spaceport - to make progress toward easier, lower cost access to space.
The Amateur Spaceflight Association, a group of 20 engineers, many who work
in the aerospace industry, will be firing the engines on a 5/12 scale model
of a rocket they hope will one day carry payloads into micro-gravity
environments for research.
While a model, the rocket is no toy. It will stand 18 ft. high, reach an altitude
of 12,000 feet, and contain avionics equipment, internally-mounted cameras,
and other gear to make it a viable scale-version of the group's eventual end
product.
The price tag on the launch is $10,000 to $12,000.
The purpose of the launch is to prove the aerodynamics and tracking in the
launch system for development of the larger, space-capable rocket. If they
are successful, they could be the first amateur group to send a rocket into
space.
"Our goal is to literally create then genre of amateur space
flight," Robert Morehead, chief engineer and founder of ASA said.
The Gulf Coast Spaceport, an endeavor to create a site and facility for
sending vehicles into space, was a great location for the group for more
reasons than one. The two groups were introduced to each other through the
Texas Aerospace Commission, and found they had much in common.
"Our goals and the Gulf Coast Spaceport's goals coalesced," Nic
Radford, electrical engineer and ASA member said.
A safe launching location is one of those goals. Hernandez Engineering has
worked with the Gulfcoast Spaceport to determine safe launch paths for
rockets from their proposed sites in southern Brazoria County. ASA also has
to determine safety before sending a rocket up.
One of those safety factors is distance around the launch site from people,
which the ASA will keep at 3,000 feet from the rocket.
"We want to give the public as much access as possible to observing the
launches, but we also must adhere to safety concerns." Steve Weismuller
of the ASA said.
The Gulfcoast Spaceport site offers a large amount of empty space as well as
a coastal launch area to create a safer environment for high-altitude rocket
launches.
"The spaceport gives us that 'Cape Canaveral' feel." Radford said.
While they work in their homes on the rocket, and have day jobs elsewhere,
the group has already had successful "test bed" launches of 1/4 and
5/12 scale rockets in Amarillo and McGregor.
"The ASA team members are amateurs only because of the fact they're
doing this on their own time," Bob Seiwell of Hernandez Engineering said
of the group.
When they reach their goal of a full-scale space-capable rocket, the ASA has
a program ready to offer five minutes of micro-gravity access for a payload
of up to 50 pounds.
Access to placing experiments on NASA flights can cost $10,000 per pound, and
private commercial launches often have three-to-four year waiting list, and
cost more than $300,000. Often private launches only return data to
researchers, as the rocket is not recovered.
ASA hopes to provide the service to universities and other researchers at a
lower cost, and also plan to have a fully recoverable vehicle.
The Gulf Coast Regional Spaceport plans to have a special viewing area for
the public at the Brazoria County Modeler's Association runway on FM 523. The
launch is scheduled for after 11 a.m.
"This launch really opens the door to space for Brazoria County,"
Gulf Coast Regional Spaceport President Fred Welch said. "Everyone is
getting behind the fact that the county is an excellent place to launch
rockets, and ASA is a prime example."
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