# 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:** 16\ **Page:** 4
**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:** [January 5, 2022, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/61 "2022-01-05T06:40:20Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Or are these types of motors so reliable that that isn’t a concern? Are you kidding me? Each motor is just a big piece of bamboo stuffed with homemade black powder. They explode as often as they fly perfectly. Numerous people have been killed at the bamboo rocket festival - as many as 4 in one explosion 20 years ago. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/VM3N57zkZi0/maxresdefault.jpg "Thai Rocket Festival 2014- Takeoff Failure || ViralHog") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM3N57zkZi0) ---
**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:** [January 6, 2022, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/62 "2022-01-06T00:41:24Z")
Danger aside, that was quite organic and beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2022, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/63 "2022-01-09T10:15:22Z")
Wasn’t there literally a space program in the Congo in the 70s where they Legitimately tried to launch someone into space with glorified fireworks too? ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2022, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/64 "2022-01-09T15:53:45Z")
I never heard of that. Do you have a cite? ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2022, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/65 "2022-01-09T16:31:38Z")
Wikipedia list of rockets says the [“Troposphere 5”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troposphere_(rocket_family)) was an experimental rocket, designed to reach 36 km, with 1 failed launch in 2009. It is described as a “two-stage solid propellant rocket” with 70 kN thrust, but does not go into details of fuel composition. “Troposphere 4” reached 15 km successfully with 1 stage. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2022, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/66 "2022-01-09T17:26:26Z")
The links in the Wikipedia article to"A Brief History of The Congolese Space Program" don’t go to any such thing; they go to a site claiming you’ve won a contest for five billionth search or some such, which I rapidly went away from. Googling on that title, however, brought up this: [A Brief History of the Congolese Space Program | Mental Floss](https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/27244/brief-history-congolese-space-program); which says, among other things, that the 1977 program was run not by the Congolese but by Germany, and was intended to try to provide a cheap way to get satellites etc. into orbit. It wasn’t successful, but there doesn’t seem to be any indication that the problem was that the Congolese couldn’t tell fireworks from space programs; the German company got tossed out for political reasons, and also failed in Libya, though the article’s not clear as to why. If anybody didn’t know what they were doing, it appears to have been Germans. The Troposphere rockets are part of a later program apparently actually originating in Congo and still ongoing at least up through 2019, intended in a similar fashion to eventually provide service to low earth orbits. The program appears to be basically run by one person and to be seriously underfunded; it’s not clear to me whether the one person knows what he’s doing, but he doesn’t seem to be confused between fireworks and space programs. And some of his backers are from Switzerland; so if there is such confusion, some of it’s in Europeans. And even if the person running Troposphere is in that much of a state of confusion, that doesn’t mean that the people setting off the actual firework in the video think that it’s a space program. The occasional nut shows up in all countries, and in all countries some of them get followers. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/67 "2022-01-11T01:36:39Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > Wasn’t there literally a space program in the Congo in the 70s where they Legitimately tried to launch someone into space with glorified fireworks too? [Wan Hu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wan_Hu) supposedly tried it in 2,000BCE China with suboptimal results but since that date is _before_ the invention of gunpowder, it seems to be a tall tale. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Wan_Hu_large.png) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Wan_Hu_large.png) ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/68 "2022-01-11T01:57:48Z")
Legendary rockets notwithstanding, Tsiolkovsky published his application of the [rocket equation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsiolkovsky_rocket_equation) to space travel in 1903. The first “sputnik” came in 1957, as we know. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/69 "2022-01-11T10:42:20Z")
I found it, the [Zambian Space Program](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Makuka_Nkoloso) with “Afronauts” who wanted to beat the Soviets and Americans to a Moon Landing. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/70 "2022-01-11T13:50:59Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > I found it, the [Zambian Space Program](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Makuka_Nkoloso) with “Afronauts” who wanted to beat the Soviets and Americans to a Moon Landing From that article: > Nkoloso stated goals of the program were to establish a Christian ministry to “primitive” Martians, and the hope of Zambia becoming the “controllers of the Seventh Heaven of Interstellar space”. You have found a random religious nut. They exist on multiple continents. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/71 "2022-01-11T19:20:45Z")
I’m curious how they’re able to accomplish synchronous ignition of the sub-rockets? Small horizontal tube of gunpowder connecting them all, or something? You probably don’t want to be near one of these if one side fails… ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/72 "2022-01-11T19:38:49Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > [Wan Hu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wan_Hu) supposedly tried it in 2,000BCE China with suboptimal results but since that date is _before_ the invention of gunpowder, it seems to be a tall tale. Accordin’ to that site :- supposedly having lived from as early as 2000 BCE **to as late as the middle Ming dynasty (16th century)** … so it could work. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/73 "2022-01-11T20:19:22Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I’m curious how they’re able to accomplish synchronous ignition of the sub-rockets? Small horizontal tube of gunpowder connecting them all, or something? You probably don’t want to be near one of these if one side fails… A good schematic at the bottom of this link: > **[Alan Yates' Laboratory - Fireworks That Spin](http://www.vk2zay.net/article/16)** > > alan yates vk2zay's ham radio website, homebrew construction, general electronics, high voltage experiments, amateur rocketry, and general geek stuff In the design seen there, the perimeter motors get lit first; they’re oriented horizontally, and all they do is get the thing spinning so as to establish some stabilization. After a delay, good spin stabilization is established, and eventually the fuse gets to the lift motors. In that schematic, there are four motors, and they’re all close to the center; if they don’t all ignite simultaneously, it’s not a crisis - the deviation of the center of lift from the wheel’s center of mass will not be that great, and the spin will keep the whole thing oriented approximately upright. More detailed written instructions in this PDF: [http://pyrobin.com/files/Girandolas.pdf](http://pyrobin.com/files/Girandolas.pdf) The one in the OP’s video is a little different in that there appear to be no dedicated spin motors: instead, the lift motors are all canted a bit so as to provide a little tangential thrust along with a lot of axial thrust. There are four torch-bearers lighting four separate fuses - which is interesting, because there are six motors. Equally interesting, at 0:28, there’s a guy on the far side of the wheel who looks like he’s manually imparting some initial spin. Two other ways I can think of for mitigating thrust imbalance problems: - Ignition delays. Light the motors nearest the center first, and the outer ones later. If the inner ones don’t light at the exact same time, the shift in the center of thrust (from the wheel’s center of mass) isn’t very large. Once those inboard motors are both lit, the fuse(s) light the mid-radius motor pair. Same deal, if they don’t ignite perfectly simultaneously, the offset won’t be so huge, since there are already two motors burning close to the center… After you’ve got the two inboard and two mid-radius motors lit, then you ignite the two most outboard motors. There’s already four motors burning at that point, so the center of thrust really shouldn’t deviate much at all if those outboard motors don’t light at the same time. During that whole process, the spin rate is increasing too, providing additional stabilization. \*Thrust staging. The motors might be designed to provide a level of thrust that increases gradually over the first fifteen seconds of burn. That way, thrust imbalance will never get terribly large. It does seem like some ignition delays taking place in the OP’s video. Around 0:37, there’s a big jump in smoke output, and again at 46 just before liftoff. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/74 "2022-01-11T20:27:59Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > 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. I had a few of those back in the Eighties. Lit 'em all, though. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/75 "2022-01-11T22:21:08Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > supposedly having lived from as early as 2000 BCE **to as late as the middle Ming dynasty (16th century)** I dunno. A guy whose birth date is somewhere in a 3,500 year span isn’t sounding too credible to me either. We’re not Middle Earth. ---
**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:** [January 12, 2022, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612/76 "2022-01-12T01:57:30Z")
The Thai love rockets the large “serious” rockets reach astonishing heights for homemade rocket. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/f_AK8dsaFR8/maxresdefault.jpg "Homemade rockets in Thailand -Really Big!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_AK8dsaFR8) Each rocketeer is required to make their own black powder. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/LnFy2Rr36i8/maxresdefault.jpg "Thai Rocket Construction Part 1") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnFy2Rr36i8) Here is another favorite, line rockets: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/2946xrX-5Fc/maxresdefault.jpg "Thai Line Rockets") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2946xrX-5Fc) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-rocket-thingie/956612.md?page=3)