Big Rocket Explodes! 1/3 Scale Model Mercury-Redstone 3 Blows Up At Launch

At LDRS-18 (Large and Dangerous Rocket Ships) in Argonia, Kansas in 1999. This was the annual national rocket launch for the Tripoli Rocketry Association. The largest amateur rocket project was a 1/3 scale model of the Mercury Redstone 3 rocket that Alan Shepard launched in to become America's first man in space in 1961. The launch ignition button was pushed by Alan Shepard's daughter. Very soon thereafter she was glad her dad wasn't on the rocket. At ignition, the solid propellant motor blew through its casing, ruptured and exploded. The explosion destroyed the rocket which snagged itself in its launch tower. The rocket was totally demolished but the Mercury capsule was salvaged for a future project.

Always prepare your rocket motors carefully because sometimes they can explode and blow up your rocket!

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Mercury-Redstone
• Mercury
• Redstone
• MR-3
• Alan Shepard
• Alan
• Shepard
• rocket
• scale
• model
• launch
• vehicle
• liftoff
• ignition
• explosion
• explodes
• blows up
• destroyed
• destroys

[graham0267]

Buy a tripod!

[ThirdDegreeWitch]

the camera operator obviously has parkinsons :(

[1217designs]

@chaosopher23

The motor was custom made, and when it ignited the it failed on the side of the case which caused the explosion... My dad and his friends worked for a long time on this rocket, I felt really bad for all of them after this happened.

[megabrontes123]

looks like the early days of nasa

[10nickyj]

Awww

[MsDANIELGREGORY]

i remember seeing this launch in person very sad

[riderpoet]

I seem to recall that the full scale ones did this too. That's what we call accuracy in modeling... :-) The men who rode them were beyond heroes. There is no word for what they did.

[chaosopher23]

Did you ever figure out what went wrong?

[Straight2hell01]

@graham0267 That's what i was going to say!! LOL

[SuperDman9000]

1/3 crap put a baby in it but test it first