LUNAR Launch Photos and Video

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2005a 2005b 2005c 2005d 2005e

LUNAR Launches 2005b

This photo gallery contains pictures and video submitted by LUNAR members. The pictures where taken at different launches. We have identified the launch were possible, however, by the time the pictures get to this website, the photographers are often a little hazy as to exactly which launch they took the pictures. I can usually figure out the year the picture was taken so that seems to be the safest organization for this list. Clicking on a picture will display the full size one.

March 2005 - Snow Ranch

Just before the March launch, we had a week of rain after a couple of months of soaking rain. To say the least, it was a bit damp at the ranch. Even walking was risky in some spots. Most of the cars made it to the launch site without much trouble except for one last ditch just before the parking area. Several of us spent the morning giving first time mud drivers a quick 10 second training course (Don't spin your tires and don't stop.) and running them across the ditch one at a time. Not everyone made it across but luckily there were a couple of real 4WDs (not SUVs) with towing straps who also spent part of the morning pulling people out. The mud wasn't really deep, in fact the ditch was relatively solid. It just had a two inch layer of mud that was just like axle grease. It was even hard to walk across the ditch.


David Flournoy took these pictures showing all the fun we had at the beginning. The first is Our fearless leader's car getting pushed out of the mud followed by a truck that made it.

Next is an SUV that tried to park in the creek.	Even with the mud, we had a good crowd.


This is a two stage with an air start sustainer.	Here goes the air start sustainer.

Here goes a black and silver rocket from the high power pads.	And, one burning a blackjack from the other direction.

Now, this is what I call a cluster. Seven engines in a modified Estes Fatboy. Wait a minute, didn't we pull that rocket out of the creek?	And away it goes.



Not to be outdone, we have a bunch of TARC launches. All of them staged and clustered.

A very pretty yellow and red rocket followed by an unwelcome visitor. I guess this guy wanted to see a launch up close, not realizing that we cannot launch until he goes away.

The next few are by Bill Orvis.


A couple of high power rockets get off the ground

Another one caught just as the engine lights.	And again up in the sky.

This one was also caught at launch.	And in the air.

And another.

Here is another caught at launch.	And in the air.


What goes up.	Keeps going up.	But, then must come down.


Here is my modified Estes Phoenix about to go up on an F20-7.	And coming down by the tree.

This is Robert Tashjian's L1 cert flight. A BSD Canadian Sprint going up on a H123w, totally unfinished except for some sealer on the fins	Some yearling hiefers show up to see what is going on.


These four pictures show a tarc launch at different stages including launch and staging

I'm not sure if this is a TARC launch or not.

And two more to finish off my pictures.


Steve Kendall got this shot of Bill and Lee, a couple of tired rocketeers ready to call it a day. (I'm the good looking one on the left).	And Jack just couldn't keep it out of the mud, even on the way home (Heckenbach).

March History Channel Launch

In March, the History channel came to LUNAR to get some props built to use in a new series they are making. In this episode, they are highlighting the rocketry of Werner Von Braun.

My nephew, Gabe got to be Werner as a 12 year old launching a red wagon down the road with a bunch of sky rockets attached. The rockets were actually E9-8 engines in short pieces of tubing and with a stick attached to make them look like sky rockets.

And, away it goes!! One of the actors didn't show up so they drafted my brother Bruce. He had to get out of his work clothes and dress up to look like a 1930s style German Businessman. They made him take off his hat when they started filming.

Next we filmed the failed launch of the Mirak. Jack built the prop from pieces of stove pipe, plastic tube, conduit, and a Styrofoam nose cone. The paint was still drying as he drive it out to the ranch for the shoot.

We taped it to the pad as it was supposed to be a failure, but it almost got away.

Last, they filmed a test firing of the kegelduese, a liquid oxygen and gasoline engine. The engine was made in a local machine shop and was a beautiful piece of turned aluminum. It looked just like the original except that it had an engine mount for a 29mm engine. We fired it with both F and G motors in a frame with the engine pointing up. The original was fired by hanging a burning rag over the engine and turning on the fuel. We did much the same thing but fired the engine electrically. We warned the actors that it would be loud but they still flinched when the engine fired and we had to do it again.

The show is supposed to air in August or September.
All images on this page by William Orvis unless otherwise labeled. Previous Next

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