Launch 27/7/2011 | rockets | Bert Simons

wednesday 27 th of July I will launch my rocket RKT1. Live streaming from launch site 'Loonse en Drunense heide' will be avalaible here..estimated time of launch 15:00 local time. for last information check my facebook account

update 27/7 21:00

Unfortunatly due to a bad G3 connection The life feed was very bad and only a couple of frames got true. Apologies to anyone who might have tuned in..

Despite this little setback..we had a succesfull launch!

(click on the pics (by Jose Krijnen) for a bigger image)

update: 03/08/2011

I added a little movie of the launch, it's the last thumb..

RKT1's electronic systems and software code being tested a day before the launch

I promised a live feed but due to a very bad connection ( probably jammed because next to a military range) this kind of failed..

preparing the parachutes

Carefully carrying the armed missile to the launch site

pressurizing the rocket

Because I had to launch by hand I accindently broke the release system for the big parachute which was at the bottom of the rocket.. but fortunatly the small parachute did function..

lift-off...Yeay! In the rush to launch before the rain would start I didn't check my checklist and forgot to clean the sand from the launch mechanism.. it jammed and I had to launch by hand..dangerously close to the blast zone!

when RKT1 hit the ground the big parachute popped out and towed the rocket several hundreds meters..this actually caused the only damage to the rocket

and was not caused byu the landing itself but caused by the parachute dragging the rocket away over the sandplane.

video of the launch