Sunday, June 17, 2007, 09:34 PM
ASA has been informed that DOW Chemical will not allow ASA to conduct test firings of the ASA rocket motor on their property without full insurance protection for the event - which will cost ASA more than $20,000 for the single day.
Since ASA cannot afford to purchase this insurance protection, ASA will not be allowed to use the test stand we constructed last year (when the Gulf Coast Regional Spaceport was leasing the land from DOW Chemical). Although the concrete portion of the test stand is now useless, the steel components of the test stand were constructed independent of the concrete slab and could be used on a future test stand.
ASA is currently evaluating test site options, such as: pouring a new concrete slab in a new location, constructing a mobile test platform, or utilizing an existing propulsion test stand owned by a university or company. All options are under consideration, and we are seeking a rapid solution to this issue.
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Tuesday, April 3, 2007, 04:16 PM
The Brazoria County Commissioner's office recently voted to end the Gulf Coast Regional Spaceport Development Corporation. This decision will undoubtedly affect the Amateur Spaceflight Association, but the impact is unclear at this point.
ASA's test stand and the road+launch pad built by the county are located on property owned by DOW Chemical - it was leased to the GCRS. Any test firing or rocket launching activities occurring at this site will now be coordinated directly with DOW, and we are working through that process.
ASA has received permission to use the facility for a test firing, but under the insurance guidelines provided by DOW. We are very appreciative for this agreement, and we are working through the appropriate insurance channels. More information will be posted here or on the propulsion engineering team blog as it becomes available.
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Saturday, February 10, 2007, 12:12 PM
ASA visited the test site today to check out the condition of the test stand and the new road built by the county. When we built our test stand last May, we were given a location in the middle of a field and we started digging. Recently, the county built a fenced-in road, parking lot, and launch pad on this property for purposes of amateur rocketry activities. Our test stand is approximately 200 feet off of this road.
Here is a picture of the new parking lot and road:
The launch pad:
We also walked out to the test stand just to make sure it was still intact. As you can see in the following picture, we still need to add a few feet to our blast wall, but otherwise the test stand is in good condition (albeit a little dirty). The steel structure of the test stand is complete, but is being kept offsite.
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