Posted by KMJ-007 4 days ago
-Making your own fuel.
-Using inappropriate materials (e.g. PVC)
-Poor storage of motors.
-People are standing quite close to the rocket when it launches.
-There seem to be buildings quite close to the launch in one of the videos.
-Night launches. How are you going to get out of the way, if you can't see the rocket?
2 stage rockets are particularly dangerous, because as the second stage can launch horizontally or downward if the first stage tilts (as shown in one of the videos).
I think they are being irresponsible with the safety of themselves and anyone nearby. I would strongly recommend they learn a bit of safe practices and make a single stage rocket that works reliably, before even attempting 2 stage.
Maybe someone on here who is in amateur rocketry can reach out and forge some connections between their group and more established ones? That's the true beauty of the Internet, right?
Let huge rockets blow up over active airspace?
This looks like a bunch of college kids building small little rockets. I'm probably taking a much bigger risk walking on the street, where I live in India.
It's a little risky. But do the stuff far enough away from people and they'll be fine.
Everything in life involves risks. And there are cultural differences in attitude to risk. But some of these risks are quite unnecessary.
Also, I would consider making your own fuel (without sufficient expertise), as more than 'a little risky'. Especially if they move on to bigger rockets.
It seems like just the classic smoke bomb recipe with KNO3 and sugar. I would be comfortable preparing this even indoors, let alone outside.
[1] into the ground.
Disruptive, yes. Dangerous, no. (They’re disruptive because the planes avoid the debris field. Launches are also scheduled such that no plane should be pinned down by debris.)
I’d also note that, apart from two deaths in 2014, SpaceX’s track record with human lives is pristine.
That's air and water propelling a rocket a mile up!
I believe that PVC is not considered safe for model rockets, as it turns into shrapnel if it ruptures. Happy to be corrected, if that isn't right.
I think NASA may have learnt that lesson in '86.
a) Very dangerous, if you don't know what you are doing.
b) Illegal without a licence in some countries (such as the UK).
Besides, the fuel "hacking" they seem to be doing seems relatively simple, isn't it what is commonly called "Rocket Candy" or something like that? In that case, it's a fairly common propellant made by amateur's. We're on Hacker News after all, as long as they're not hurting other people, if it's illegal or not should matter less.
The risk of letting random people blow themselves up is one thing, but having innocent bystanders get killed or maimed is totally different.
Most fully developed adults agree that putting yourself at risk in the pursuit of your hobbies is fine, with limits. Putting others in danger who are unaware of the risk to life and limb is not acceptable. You, a private citizen, simply do not have the right to produce bombs as a hobby because of the undue risk to everyone around you.
Indeed. A solid rocket motor is pretty much just a bomb with a hole+nozzle at one end.