Re-Launching the First Science Rocket to Space

From NASA/JPL. A NASA scientist, physics professor, and model rocket hobbyist recreates an historic rocket launched by aeronautics pioneer Frank Malina. The first WAC Corporal dummy round was launched on September 16, 1945 from White Sands Missile Range near Las Cruces, New Mexico. After a White Sands V-2 rocket had reached 69 miles on May 10, a White Sands WAC Corporal reached 80 km (49 mi) on May 22, 1946 - the first U.S.-designed rocket to reach the edge of space (under the U.S. definition of space at the time). On February 24, 1949, a Bumper (a German V-2 rocket acting as first stage) bearing a WAC Corporal at White Sands accelerated to 5,150 mph to become the first flight of more than five times the speed of sound.
Scientists were later surprised when almost a year after the launch, tail fragments of the WAC Corporal rocket that reached 5,150 mph and an altitude of over 250 miles, were found and identified in the New Mexico desert near the launch site.
A few WAC Corporals survive in museums, including one at the National Air and Space Museum and another in the White Sands Missile Range Museum. Here are its specs:
Diameter: 1 ft (0.30 m)
Total length: 24 ft (7.34 m)
Tiny Tim booster
Loaded weight: 759.2 lb (344.3 kg)
Propellant weight: 148.7 lb (67.4 kg)
Thrust: 50,000 lbf (220,000 N)
Duration: 0.6 s
Impulse: 30,000 lbf·s (130,000 N·s)
]WAC Corporal sustainer
Empty weight: 296.7 lb (134.6 kg)
Loaded weight: 690.7 lb (313.3 kg)
Thrust: 1,500 lbf (6,700 N)
Duration: 47 s
Impulse: 67,000 lbf·s (300,000 N·s)

[@qotsaandsoadfan1]

Well done!

[@pdxyarnho]

He was like a little kid, geeking out over his first rocket. :)

[@niilzon]

You can really feel the stress and then the pleasure of the scientist during the launch. This is nice :)

[@FlimsyPickles]

This would be sweet to do as a physics project ^^

[@RokSlana]

Dammit that was nice. Gotta watch it multiple times.

[@Ltdcloud]

Nice video as always spacerip. Thanks

[@rleeAZ]

The Estes Wac Corporal was the first model rocket I built as well. Full scale model is cool.

[@StreuB1]

WAC Corporal is still to this day one of my favorite sounding rockets. Massive high thrust short duration booster and a long burning sustainer. And interestingly enough, its one of the only rockets ever to use acid and aniline as propellants.....which is a shame because they deliver outstanding density-impulse and aniline makes a great regen coolant.

[@rosswarren436]

So, that must be where that old song came from, "Sweet Aniline"? ;-)

[@blovesk7915]

really loved the video - congrats

[@gertnood]

You mean - building a big paper and plywood HPR model of the WAC Corporal and launching it a few thousand feet? History has been made.

[@ChessNetwork]

Very cool!

[@Steve211Ucdhihifvshi]

i cant get over the enthusiasm and excitement in the announcer's voice over the pa,,,, i was expecting a yaaaaay

[@knightingalesaid]

Awesome flight and rocket.

[@CyborgForgael]

I remember firing off my first rocket. It wasn't as big as this one, though.

[@acs197]

I always loved the smell of model rocket solid fuel motors burning!

[@Coles109]

i love space and love looking at the universe at night

[@Jorbz150]

Of course we should take care of each other. Many people just disagree with the way we should take care of others.

[@SodapopSays]

i wish i was taught stuff like this in school.

[@NeedsEvidence]

Amazing...

[@Krissypoo508]

That's cool, thanks SpacerRip! I was supposed to fly rockets in 5th grade but my class never got to. Lame..

[@RUcringe]

That would be so cool to do. I used to have a rocket when I was little. too bad I lost it to the trees :(

[@agonyflips]

Waivers from the FAA are required to fly High Power Rockets weighing more than 3.3lbs and/or flying on greater than 4.4 ounces of propellant. When granting waivers, the FAA reviews the normal use of the airspace for which a waiver has been requested to determine the feasibility of rerouting airplanes while launches are being held & so waivers to high altitudes are most readily granted for airspace that is not heavily used. Waivers are granted in MSL or altitude above mean sea level. See FAA gov.

[@davidroberts4831]

Hi 👋 guys cool 😎 video love 💖 whaching you’re rockets 🚀 keep up the good work 🇬🇧❤️David

[@omegaman196601]

Too cool

[@JonSchaffer57]

I'd like to build a rocket now.

[@Thereisalwaysmore]

Is the FAA notified when events at certain locations are being taken place like this one. So air traffic can be avoided at those areas?

[@roccman2003]

bravo!!

[@JCJourney]

good job.

[@zestydude87]

ive built dozens of Estes rockets over the years. Had a few good explosions and lost a few in the trees but its all fun!

[@normellow]

Full O motor would of looked good in that rocket.

[@duelette]

Nice job on the click bait wording.

[@juanwick2726]

I can't even find a place to fly my quad copter drone:((((

[@sonnyburnett8725]

Tyler McCloud , That’s because sadly, everyone likes to complain and pretend to be upset about something and everything today even if they don’t actually care. They know it’s the thing to do nowadays!

[@MrGOTAMA420]

how cool ,

[@jeebersjumpincryst]

@Hopefulfilment thumbs up from me!!!

[@AlGreenLightThroughGlass]

Great job, I note the trolls are restless

[@carmium]

How high could the duplicate go with a maximum size motor? Or would it take a liquid fuel system to re-enact the original flight?

[@rosswarren436]

Liquid fuel as the original had is the only way for it to get to 70 km. Even then it had a solid rocket 1st booster stage. It was indeed the first large liquid fueled rocket developed in the U.S. not counting the early rockets of Dr . Robert Goddard.

[@seanbaskett5506]

What, no Acid Aniline motor?

[@305intimidator]

i am 14 and I own 9 rockets expensive hobby but very exilirating

[@LuisGurrolaa]

0:08 the kid of jurassic park

[@ActualSubstance]

So this guy is going to be my professor when I get accepted into Harvey Mudd in 2 years... SWEET!

[@12DeathKnight]

@tonyblackops another term used instead of Chat Rooms is Internet Cafes because that is supposed to sound more "appropriate" and the comments section is much like an Internet Cafe, cheers :)

[@mjproebstle]

to 4500’ actually. cool!

[@DeltaMXX]

What type of motor is in there? Is it actually a motor and if so how does it work?

[@ryangarrison7088]

Ah yes a "Science Rocket" and "Space"

[@jasperm3252]

i thought the karman line was at 100 kilometers

[@paulaguirre6281]

hey... steveO became a rocket nerd!!!

[@rldickie]

cool

[@Bankstercide]

I remember Harvey Mudd of the Claremont Colleges - their professors were infamous for their fiendishly hard tests and the students were infamous for their engineering stunts and weekend parties. I still can't get the smell of Sunday vomit out of my head when I think of that place...

[@a-10model34]

wow!🚀🚀👍😝

[@kidcaper007]

less talking...more rockets

[@Ryotenian7826]

Does anyone know if this replica was liquid propellant or solid?

[@tonyblackops]

@12DeathKnight what cafe ?

[@thatoneguy99100]

I wish I got into Harvey Mudd :(

[@TheAmorri]

I wanna do it ;'(

[@crypto0102]

@frostyuk2007 very true.

[@theawesome5919]

0:08

[@MegaFPVFlyer]

+Pedro Acevedo That... that's not how it works...

[@yaserkhan9767]

we can make everything

[@reinux]

@TheArfdog you seriously need to study post-2001 history. the antiwar movement during the bush years was overwhelmingly larger than the tea party.

[@12DeathKnight]

@Hopefulfilment finally some one with intelligence in this internet cafe, i hate ignorant people so much :(

[@user-tb2jy9lu3d]

I think the person that took the video was having a seizure...

[@TheArfdog]

@jeezuschryst Not en masse like it is today with the Tea Party.

[@Burnz2much]

A few dollars and a little ingenuity you could reach orbit. But the kids who complain on here want a RTF space rocket from the local hobby shop.. glad I never had children, for their sake.

[@yaserkhan9767]

just shair all logic for all in the world

[@sciencecompliance235]

What a dork. lol. Nice job btw.

[@TheArfdog]

@reinux According a 2010 CNN poll "roughly 11 percent of all Americans say they have actively supported the Tea Party movement" --- That's 30,000,000 people.

[@TheArfdog]

@reinux Why do I need to study history when I was there? The antiwar movement was small and a brief affair. It didn't last like this Tea Party thing.

[@TheArfdog]

@reinux "Actively supported".... that means they donated money to the Tea Party, went to a rally, or similar activity. Search in google "2010 cnn poll tea party". 100,000,000 Americans were not active in any anti-war movement. They just agreed with it.

[@Mystery207]

Did it died?

[@TheArfdog]

@frostyuk2007 So what happens when corporations become monopolies, giving you only one choice? You'll be forced to buy only one brand of car. Then what happens when they start making shitty cars that start exploding? Who's going to hold them accountable?

[@TheArfdog]

@frostyuk2007 What's more likely to have your best interests in mind, a corporate monopoly that is just out for profit (and has no intention of consumer protection), or a government "monopoly" which is non-profit, and whose members were popularly elected and usually pledge to serve the public? Gotten screwed by AT&T's near-monopoly lately? When was the last time you've been screwed by the local public library "monopoly"?

[@Jibbie49]

It is sad that our American students rank 23rd in the World in MATH and SCIENCE, so getting kids interested in something like this is difficult. Only 2% of high school Senior girls can quality for college Calculus upon graduation.

[@reinux]

@TheArfdog "support" and "participate" are two different things. according to the AP, 36% of americans were strongly opposed to the war on iraq in january 2003 -- that is, they "supported" the antiwar movement. that's nearly 100,000,000 people.

[@luftim]

@ActualSubstance SUUUURE everybody is going to the harvey mudd in 2 years -___-

[@larrythatsme2491]

your videographer needs to be fired.

[@AtomFA]

why even do anything

[@reinux]

@TheArfdog the tea party movement has about 310,000 members. the movement against the iraq war has been going since september of 2002, and it's still ongoing with about 100 arrests having been made outside of the white house in march of this year. rome alone made the guinness book of records in 2003 protesting *against the american war on iraq*, and in the states, typical anti-war rallies in 2003 consisted of at least 350,000 to 400,000 people.

[@raccoon0717]

Color didn't come around till 1950's

[@hb4lwade1]

After he said it was not going 70km high I started to hope for an explosion

[@ne1cup]

I am sure it could go 70 km with a full engine and a second stage engine

[@user-td1zo3tv9p]

🤯😰👎

[@Danny77uk]

@frostyuk2007 And who would pay for the upkeep of the roads, or the sewers, or the police, or the fire services? Who will take your waste away, who will keep the street lights working? Volunteers?!

[@KohviKruus]

we should do this more often.. SICK OF NASA!!! Lets disclose these mofos ourself

[@CirnoSpaceProject]

oof

[@RaSeL]

you got the worse creeper I've ever seen -_-

[@Antietep]

the title is misleading... i was waiting it go to space where it just floats, not to fall right back down :/

[@spontaneoussam2]

@djcangry14 no

[@Jeff46u]

You do not fly a rocket you launch a rocket.

[@johncronin9540]

FooBar Maximus Wouldn’t it be a combination of both? I ask that because the launch controllers are stationed at the Kennedy Space Center, but flight controllers (for manned flights) are stationed at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. And control of the vehicle is transferred from KSC to JSC once the booster is clear of the tower.

[@reinux]

@TheArfdog america's always been called "united states of amnesia" though. seriously, you don't remember what people used to call the previous administration??

[@MasterShot-ke1mr]

I'm thoroughly disappointed. If that was a real whack corporal it definitely wouldn't have had the motor in it that you have in it.

[@mjproebstle]

14 people should be WAC'd

[@TheArfdog]

@jeezuschryst Anytime someone calls America "Amerika" and mentions socialist or fascist, they mean Obama and his administration. These words were never used to describe our govt before Obama came along. Its the height of disrespect.

[@jeezuschryst]

@TheArfdog greatinca mentioned nothing about obama....

[@jeezuschryst]

@TheArfdog on the contrary, many people have referred to america as a fascist nation long before obama

[@TheArfdog]

@frostyuk2007 Destroyed all competition? By demanding that only companies that make safe drugs are able to conduct business? If that's your idea of destroying competition, then you're flat wrong. That's keeping companies honest. I don't want to find out that a company makes bad drugs AFTER i've been poisoned.

[@droddfellow3926]

Shit what altitude you get? I bet I could even do better. Wanna clickbait me.....*grumbles*

[@TheArfdog]

@frostyuk2007 Medicine is so expensive because 1) it's a highly valued service unfortunately for unhealthy Americans and 2) there isn't any competition. The role of govt here would be to generate competition by providing a minimum level of care at least to those that would not otherwise get it. Health is a right, not a privilege.

[@TheArfdog]

@frostyuk2007 Who's going to pay to connect all the private roads, especially across land that no one owns? Who is going to pay fire service, when no one expects to have a fire And if you think society can operate only people's honesty, you are simply naive.

[@Jokker88]

@frostyuk2007 You're wrong thinking only governments can be fascist. If capitalism were allowed to run rampant without regulation in the end only a few large corporations would own everything. What will prevent these corporations from being fascist dictatorships with no regulation, in the end the police force will be corporate run, prisons will be owned and run by corporations (a lot are today already in the US), Corporations aren't out for your well being (unless its profitable)

[@24corrdi24]

I, I, I..., Me, Me , I.., I... ,.. WHO CARES!!!

[@huaahhggg9507]

Thumbs down and reported for click bait. :-)

[@bradforester3635]

I wonder if he knows the earth i flat?? Or if he is jus another pawn that nasa manipulates..