Pictures from AeroPAC's XPRS 2002 launch
September 27-29, 2002
Black Rock Desert, Nevada

Other XPRS Launch pictures

Here are my other pictures from XPRS 1 on Saturday, Sept 28, 2002.

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(1536x1024 2256K) (500x333 40K) Here's my campsite at XPRS. Owen parked his vehicle behind my tent. My rocket is sitting on the chair "posing" for the picture before taking it for my Level 1 HPR certification flight.

(1536x1024 1915K) (500x333 25K) Owen shows off his night flight rocket which he intended to fly during that evening's night launch. Besides the regulation strobe light (in the nose cone), the colored bands around the rocket are electroluminescent wire ("EL wire") rigged to light up when the rocket's ejection charge fires.

[picture]
(1536x1024 1951K) (500x333 24K) Sometimes the rockets launch just too fast to snap a picture of them. :-)

(1536x1024 1963K) (500x333 19K) A view of the AeroPAC flight line looking west from my campsite.

(1536x1024 1966K) (500x333 20K) A view of the AeroPAC flight line looking east from my campsite. This only shows the front row facing the launch pads. In the central area, there were 3-4 rows of camp sites and parking space behind the flight line.

[picture]
(1536x1024 1763K) (500x333 20K) Looking behind my campsite, there's a cluster of RV's in a "circle the wagons" pattern. My only guess why they'd do this is as a wind break. But I'm not sure why they clustered away from the flight line.

(1536x1024 1928K) (500x333 18K) Here's a nice straight launch. This is how it's supposed to be done.

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(1536x1024 1599K) (500x333 18K) Here's a nice straight launch. This is how it's supposed to be done. (Same flight as previous photo.)

(1536x1024 1970K) (500x333 24K) One of the large rockets is launched from the far pads. I vaguely recall this was someone's Level 3 certification flight.

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(1536x1024 1981K) (500x333 26K) A very nice recovery of the large rocket from the previous photo. The smaller "drogue" chute deployed first, slowing the descent until the main chute deployed under computer command at lower altitude.
If this was indeed an L3 cert flight, then congratulations to the builder because this beautiful recovery means he/she succeeded and got the elite L3 certification.

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(1536x1024 2184K) (500x333 12K) This rocket went into a spiral during its ascent. This is undoubtedly due to an in-flight failure of some kind. Though the failure wasn't enough to prevent the rocket from continuing upward in a spiral.

Back to the AeroPAC XPRS 2002 Pictures

Some pictures are from others where noted - all are used with permission. Original owners retain their own copyrights.

(1536x1024 2256K) (500x333 40K)	Here's my campsite at XPRS. Owen parked his vehicle behind my tent. My rocket is sitting on the chair "posing" for the picture before taking it for my Level 1 HPR certification flight.
(1536x1024 1915K) (500x333 25K)	Owen shows off his night flight rocket which he intended to fly during that evening's night launch. Besides the regulation strobe light (in the nose cone), the colored bands around the rocket are electroluminescent wire ("EL wire") rigged to light up when the rocket's ejection charge fires.
(1536x1024 1951K) (500x333 24K)	Sometimes the rockets launch just too fast to snap a picture of them. :-)
(1536x1024 1963K) (500x333 19K)	A view of the AeroPAC flight line looking west from my campsite.
(1536x1024 1966K) (500x333 20K)	A view of the AeroPAC flight line looking east from my campsite. This only shows the front row facing the launch pads. In the central area, there were 3-4 rows of camp sites and parking space behind the flight line.
(1536x1024 1763K) (500x333 20K)	Looking behind my campsite, there's a cluster of RV's in a "circle the wagons" pattern. My only guess why they'd do this is as a wind break. But I'm not sure why they clustered away from the flight line.
(1536x1024 1928K) (500x333 18K)	Here's a nice straight launch. This is how it's supposed to be done.
(1536x1024 1599K) (500x333 18K)	Here's a nice straight launch. This is how it's supposed to be done. (Same flight as previous photo.)
(1536x1024 1970K) (500x333 24K)	One of the large rockets is launched from the far pads. I vaguely recall this was someone's Level 3 certification flight.
(1536x1024 1981K) (500x333 26K)	A very nice recovery of the large rocket from the previous photo. The smaller "drogue" chute deployed first, slowing the descent until the main chute deployed under computer command at lower altitude. If this was indeed an L3 cert flight, then congratulations to the builder because this beautiful recovery means he/she succeeded and got the elite L3 certification.
(1536x1024 2184K) (500x333 12K)	This rocket went into a spiral during its ascent. This is undoubtedly due to an in-flight failure of some kind. Though the failure wasn't enough to prevent the rocket from continuing upward in a spiral.

Pictures from AeroPAC's XPRS 2002 launch September 27-29, 2002 Black Rock Desert, Nevada

Pictures from AeroPAC's XPRS 2002 launch
September 27-29, 2002
Black Rock Desert, Nevada