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diff --git a/src/md/36_Little_Rocket_Scientists.md b/src/md/36_Little_Rocket_Scientists.md deleted file mode 100644 index 584388d..0000000 --- a/src/md/36_Little_Rocket_Scientists.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,83 +0,0 @@ ---- -title: Little Rocket Scientists ---- - - -Hopefully, this story is the last one about failures and fiascos of the -pyrotechnic kind, but then my life might become a real yawner. We'll -see....\ -\ -This story is about a fund-raising effort by our ward. It was held to -raise money for the summer camps of our youth. The bishop asked those -who wished to contribute to offer a service of some kind that would be -auctioned off at the fund raiser. I decided to offer a family rocket -science experience. It turned out to be a popular item in the auction -and was purchased by a young family with 4 aspiring little scientists. -Here is a photo of the family in front of the barn where the rocket was -launched. - -{width="6.5in" -height="4.854861111111111in" alt=""} - -First, I went to their house and helped the children build the rocket. -It was an impressive rocket that featured a video camera at the base, -near the fins. It also had a rather expensive electronic circuit in the -nose cone that was designed to use the earth's magnetic field to sense -when the rocket reached its peak altitude. Then the circuit would fire -an explosive charge to eject the parachute, allowing the rocket to float -safely back to the ground.\ -\ -Now, I had already flown this circuit in other rockets. It worked -beautifully, if I do say so myself. It did have one rather annoying -feature, however. The circuit worked by sensing when the rocket tipped -over. This normally happens when a rocket has fired its motor and then -coasts upward until it finally slows down. The rocket will naturally tip -over and come back down with its nose pointing downward, just like an -arrow would. This means that you must be very careful when preparing to -launch the rocket. Once the circuit has been armed, if you ever happen -to allow the rocket to tip over, it will fire the explosive charge.\ -\ -Because this rocket was so large, it was impossible to slide it onto the -launch rail while in a vertical position. The only solution is to slide -the rocket onto the launch rail while the rail is lying horizontally on -the ground. Then the rail is lifted into the vertical position for the -launch. Can you guess what the problem is? This means that the astute -rocket engineer must disarm the ejection charge, mount the rocket on the -launch rail and then use a ladder to reach the nose cone of the rocket. -By carefully lifting up the nose cone, the ejection arming switch is -then pressed while the rocket is in the vertical position. Then it is -ready to launch.\ -\ -On the day of the launch, I helped the family do all the preparations -for the final countdown. We placed the rocket motor in the rocket body -and attached the electric igniter. We attached the video camera to the -base of the rocket and tested it to make sure it was working. We even -held a trial countdown to make sure the chosen launch engineer could -correctly count down from 5 to zero. I mentally went over all the items -on the checklist, but I still had a nagging feeling that I had forgotten -something. Ignoring the feeling as launch day jitters, we all retired to -the launch control area to observe the launch. Just as the young boy -said "... two, one, zero" and pushed the launch button, I remembered -what we had forgotten. Too late.... The rocket roared into the sky and -flew beautifully upward at breath-taking speed. Then, it majestically -slowed and finally nosed over at its peak altitude. This is when the -ejection charge was supposed to fire, but I knew it wasn't going to -happen. I had totally forgotten to arm the ejection circuit. -Consequently, the rocket came back to earth and smashed into the ground -just like a large lawn dart. DOOOOUUU!! 50 dollars of delicate rocket -circuitry were smashed into oblivion in the blink of an eye.\ -\ -Even though I knew exactly what had happened to cause the failure, I -acted puzzled and didn't explain my terrible blunder to the family. They -never knew what had caused the parachute to fail to eject, but I didn't -want to ruin their excitement. For young kids, a crash is just as -memorable as a successful flight, so I suffered in silence as we ran to -retrieve what was left of the doomed rocket. Again, it was a family -memory that they will probably remember forever, so I reasoned that it -was worth the expense in the end.\ -\ -It's just so hard to live with my inward shame of yet another failure. I -resolved to someday make it right by redesigning the ejection system. It -kept me scheming and dreaming for years afterward. |