# What is this “rocket” thingie **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 25, 2021, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612 "2021-12-25T00:04:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/1 "2021-12-25T00:04:50Z")
Maybe my Google-fu is shoddy but I couldn’t find out anything about it. It seems as though someone spent some coin for a pretty weak turnout. Does anyone know what this is and what’s it’s purpose is? And does the spinning help with stabilization? Link below. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/MbzoeJxPEBk/maxresdefault.jpg "Ezekiel's Wheel: 3rd world space programme") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbzoeJxPEBk) ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/2 "2021-12-25T00:14:57Z")
Catherine wheel? They are just for fun, like any fireworks. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/3 "2021-12-25T00:23:23Z")
Pretty cool. I’ve never seen anything like that before. I wonder how high it went. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/4 "2021-12-25T00:43:22Z")
I’ve seen Fourth-of-July fireworks like that, although never that large. You can buy Catherine wheels about the size of the palm of your hand, that will fly 10 or 20 feet into the air. The smaller ones make more light, and less smoke. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/5 "2021-12-25T00:46:52Z")
How confident are we that this video is real and not faked? Its one of the issues with living in the times that we do, that I have to ask this question of something that doesn’t quite look right or make sense. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/6 "2021-12-25T01:00:49Z")
Could be fake but why? Just a cool firework contraption built on a huge scale. Doesn’t serve a purpose, just looks like some entertainment at a local festival or something. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/7 "2021-12-25T01:07:56Z")
Here’s a ton more of various sizes. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/hpWiaz2RrS4/maxresdefault.jpg "Girandola Pinwheel Flying and Exploding Fireworks (NEW CHANNEL)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpWiaz2RrS4) ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/8 "2021-12-25T01:15:24Z")
The interesting thing about it is the fact that it’s inherently so stable. Unless they just got lucky, it seemed to go pretty much straight up until it ran out of fuel. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/9 "2021-12-25T01:17:48Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > Catherine wheel? In my firework vernacular, a Catherine Wheel is secured by a pin in the center and rotates in place. It does not fly. ETA: Wikipedia agrees > **[Catherine wheel (firework)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_wheel_(firework))** > > The Catherine wheel or pinwheel is a type of firework consisting either of a powder-filled spiral tube, or an angled rocket mounted with a pin through its center. When ignited, the energy of the fireworks not only create sparks and flame, but cause the wheel to quickly rotate, making the display much more spectacular. The physics of the process are those of an aeolipile. > The firework is named after Saint Catherine of Alexandria who, according to Christian tradition, was condemned to death by “br... ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/10 "2021-12-25T01:31:13Z")
@Hampshire 's link appears to be calling it a “girandola”, though I believe that can mean the same as pinwheel in Italian ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/11 "2021-12-25T01:31:40Z")
THanks for this. My skeptism has been assuaged and I am comfortable in the veracity of the video based on your link… Thanks for providing this, I’m fascinated and actually pretty pleased that such things are real and not just figments of someones imagination. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/12 "2021-12-25T01:40:13Z")
Yes, the spin helps keep it stable, kind of like the rifling on a gun barrel. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/13 "2021-12-25T03:06:22Z")
I was not expecting a parachute; KUDOS! ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/14 "2021-12-25T03:15:53Z")
The video itself looks real enough to me, but the uploader needs castigation for the racist joke in the title. I gave the video a dislike for that reason. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/15 "2021-12-25T03:28:40Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Does anyone know what this is and what’s it’s purpose is? What’s it’s purpose? Dude, just look at it! It’s friggen’ awesome! What more “purpose” does it _need?_ ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/16 "2021-12-25T03:36:10Z")
I WANT ONE!!! How is this “unclear”, Discourse? You are not my editor. Eat donkey dick. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/17 "2021-12-25T03:49:15Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > What’s it’s purpose? Dude, just look at it! It’s friggen’ awesome! What more “purpose” does it _need?_ Hey, I’m with you, being awesome is enough. It just occurred to me it might be a prototype for something, I don’t, bigger? It’s just a weird video ( in my mind anyway) in that it’s so fantastically cool and there’s almost no one there. But I’m also fine with it being built by a lone kook in a field somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/18 "2021-12-25T04:29:20Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > It’s just a weird video ( in my mind anyway) in that it’s so fantastically cool and there’s almost no one there. > > But I’m also fine with it being built by a lone kook in a field somewhere. It’s not a lone kook - there’s a whole team of about two dozen people setting it up. And there’s “almost no one there” where “there” is the launch platform. We’re just seeing the team that’s setting it up, being filmed from the observation area, which is some distance away, presumably for safety reasons. If you look at the 0:48 mark, you can see a couple of umbrellas or awnings and a couple of other people around the camera. There’s quite possibly a large crowd of onlookers to the sides and behind the camera. From the ambient audio, it certainly sounds like a number of kids and other people are around the camera, as well as a voice on a loudspeaker, as if someone is addressing a crowd that’s so large they need a PA system to make themselves heard. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/19 "2021-12-25T04:41:47Z")
I’ll bet a smaller version is a common toy in this locale. It’s not a stretch to imagine a few locals with the available resources to scale it up just to see what happens. They obviously carefully thought out the execution (going as far as having color-coded shirts for the launch team), but the basic engineering was probably allready in the toy that inspired it. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/20 "2021-12-25T05:21:40Z")
It’s the Thai Rocket Festival. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612.md?page=2)