Water Rocket Launch Report Menu:
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U.S. Water Rockets was founded with the goal of achieving the water rocket altitude record. Follow our launches as we developed the world record water rockets, launch and deployments systems, electronics and more.
From our earliest flights in 2003 with X-1 to our first camera flights with X-7 The first flight of a water rocket with a HD camera, the flight that set the world record for the most
cameras ever flown on a single flight and more.
- 2004
- 8-22-2004
X-10 CrashesX-10 Water Rocket crashes and results in the total loss of a video camera and altimeter earlier today during a shakedown flight of a Water Rocket designed to set the World Record for Altitude. The launch went perfectly, but when the rocket went through apogee at nearly 1,200 feet it deployed a parachute which somehow separated from the rocket.
- 9-12-2004
Tree RecoveryA recovery crew for U.S. Water Rockets successfully retrieved the World Record Holding X-10 Water Rocket from a precarious position in a tree, where it had been lodged for 3 weeks. This flight insured the development of our tracking and telemetry system.
- 11-23-2004
HD Camera TestThe successful construction & testing of the remarkable new C-7 payload bay, the first ever payload section to loft a High Definition Water Rocket Video Camera
- 11-27-2004
HD Camera Test IIC-7 is the highest resolution Movie Camera to ever fly aboard a Water Rocket, and was designed to outperform its predecessor, C-6 in resolution and framerate. In the second round of test flights, C-7 performed spectacularly, producing very smooth clear video with every test.
- 8-22-2004
- 2005
- 6-5-2005
Rapid Deploy ParachuteThe latest round of test flights which allowed ground observers to view and photograph a new design parachute in action. The entire deployment process was easily visible with binoculars from the ground, making the performance of the new system easy to evaluate. As a backup, in case the ground observations failed to produce conclusive performance data, we installed an innovative "ChuteCam" system in place of the WRA2 required Apogee camera. The ChuteCam uses a series of prisms to bend light and give the ChuteCam a reverse angle view, perfect for observing the parachute unfurling behind the rocket after deploy.
- 10-29-2005
Crash from 1,819 FeetWhile attempting to set a new WRA2 record altitude, parachute failure dooms X-12 and inspires herculean data recovery effort to recover the video from the destroyed camera.
- 6-5-2005
- 2006
- 6-6-2006
2,001 FeetAlthough not an official record due to a second flight did not occur due to lack of daylight, X-12 becomes the first Water Rocket ever to surpass 2,000 feet.
- 7-19-2006
2,088 FeetX-12 reaches an unprecedented altitude of 2,088 feet (636 m) on a clear summer afternoon with great visibility and bright sunshine. Unfortunately, when the rocket was recovered the water tight bulkhead seals of the payload section appeared to have cracked under the tremendous acceleration of launch and allowed water to fill the electronics bay upon splashdown.
- 6-6-2006
- 2008
- 12-26-2008
Project 3000Launch Report of our X-12 Carbon Fiber High Pressure Water Rocket conducted to test our new HD camera and electronics payload during freezing cold weather conditions which resulted in a near disaster when the parachute failed, only to be saved at the last second by a tree.
- 12-26-2008
- 2011
- 11-25-2011
7 CamerasOur B-2 Water Rocket was test flown with an unofficial word record of 7 onboard cameras in order to record video of a test of some enhancements to our free ServoChron Servo Deploy Timer Software, and our newly invented Axial Parachute Deploy Recovery Ejection System. This Launch Report contains the details of the launch and the results of the flight, including failure analysis and data logs.
- 11-25-2011
- 2016
- Boosted Glider
ExperimentCan a paper glider be launched from a water rocket. Find out in the boosted glider article.
- Boosted Glider