First and Only Flight of a Repaired Rocket

The rocket I repaired was not mine. I found the rocket in a tall tree in my yard. My yard is nearby, but not adjacent, to a large park. So ponder for a second what that tells you about this rocket. What warning does it cry out? What lesson is about to go unheeded?

Lego astronaut payload Last known photograph of Major Lego Tom

Last known photograph of Major Lego Tom.

This rocket has a clear payload section. On launch day, a Lego astronaut is onboard.

There’s no need for a test flight. Mission control is confident that we can risk the life of a plastic man on the maiden voyage.

✓ Fins and other parts securely fastened? Check
✓ Wadding added? Check
✓ Parachute folded and inserted? Check
✓ Nice big park without people or buildings nearby? Check
✓ Clear skies? Check

What size engine should we use? There’s some namby pamby warning text to use an 'A' motor for the first flight. Pffff! Let’s shove a 'C' in there!

See how far that tiny little rocket launched? See that perfect parachute deployment high in the sky? Hear that wind? Goodbye rocket!

Oh, that’s so sad. We looked for it for hours. It probably landed in a tall tree in someone else’s yard. Perhaps it will be recovered, rebuilt, and posted to the Internet a few years from now.