{"id":544,"date":"2007-08-13T06:45:38","date_gmt":"2007-08-12T21:45:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2007-08-13\/544"},"modified":"2007-08-13T06:45:38","modified_gmt":"2007-08-12T21:45:38","slug":"anthonys-first-model-rocket-launch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2007-08-13\/544","title":{"rendered":"Anthony’s First Model-Rocket Launch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55 f\/2.8 @ 55mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1000 sec, f\/4, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nUnbridled Excitement<\/span>\nafter shooting off his first model rocket\n<\/div>\n\n

As one would expect of a four-year-old boy, Anthony has a keen<\/span> interest\nin rockets. If it wasn<\/span>'t clear enough the other day when he explained to me\nin detail how the space shuttle launched (see the middle of this post<\/a>), it was clear\ntoday when we shot off a model<\/span> rocket.<\/p>\n\n

I was into model rocketry when I was<\/span> a kid,<\/span> so I thought<\/span> to share that\nexperience a bit<\/span> with him. Yesterday we bought an Estes\nstarter kit<\/a> and built one of the rockets, and today we went to a park<\/span>\nto shoot it off. (I used<\/span> to shoot them off in the fields at my folks'\nplace, but 25 years has added a lot<\/span> of height and bulk to the surrounding\ntrees, so I worried<\/span> that we'd lose the rocket on the first launch.)<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55 f\/2.8 @ 38mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2500 sec, f\/4, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nPre-Launch Photo Op<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

I set up everything for launch, then while I held<\/span> down the fire-permit\nbutton on the fire controller with one hand (and the camera with the\nother), Anthony counted down and pressed the launch button.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55 f\/2.8 @ 38mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1250 sec, f\/4, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nAnticipation<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55 f\/2.8 @ 48mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>4000 sec, f\/5, ISO 400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nLaunch<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55 f\/2.8 @ 48mm (cropped) — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>4000 sec, f\/5, ISO 400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nClearing the Tower<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55 f\/2.8 @ 17mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1250 sec, f\/4, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nWOW!<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55 f\/2.8 @ 55mm (cropped) — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>8000 sec, f\/5, ISO 400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nParachute Deployed<\/span>\n(above the parachute is a tissue that protected the parachute from the engine's ejecting charge)\n<\/div>\n\n

As luck would have it, it landed very close, so\nhe rushed right over and was simply unable to contain his excitement<\/b>. He jumped<\/span> up and down, pumped his arms, and cheered with abandon.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55 f\/2.8 @ 44mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1000 sec, f\/4, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nPumping His Arms<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55 f\/2.8 @ 44mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1250 sec, f\/4, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nCheering<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55 f\/2.8 @ 55mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1000 sec, f\/4, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nJumping Up and Down<\/span>\n(note air below feet)\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55 f\/2.8 @ 55mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1000 sec, f\/4, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nAll of the Above<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

The tissue that protects the parachute landed quite a bit<\/span> further away,\nso he went off to get it.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55 f\/2.8 @ 22mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1500 sec, f\/4, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nOur Own Little Cape Canaveral<\/span>\n\nLaunch pad<\/span>\n—\nMission control site<\/span>\n—\nLanded rocket<\/span>\n—\nSearch and rescue<\/span>\n