How to Launch a Rocket

Video Transcript

"OK and now we can actually launch this model rocket. Pull our parachute out, make sure that it's untangled and put wadding in. This is fire resistant paper basically that will keep the injection charge of the engine from melting our parachute. Put that in below, fold your parachute, don't fold it too tightly and if you want the parachute to open rapidly, don't wrap the cords, the shroud, around the parachute. Pop it in the top. Now on the end, put the engine in, note the engine has a cone at one end and you just twist it in gently. You don't want to collapse the body of your rocket. You can get all the supplies and get the directions to safely launch a model rocket at your local hobby store. Many retailers will carry kits with the launchpad, a couple rockets, a couple engines and everything you need. OK, now that we're ready to launch our rocket, we need to put our igniter in. An igniter is basically an electric map. Make sure it's firmly in there touching the bottom. To hold the igniter in, they provide little plastic plugs. Now when I was a kid in a pinch, you can use a little bit of tape and then you can put it on the launchpad. Now this mess of wires here is a launcher, launch controller. And this basically provides electricity to that little electric match. We have our connects, our leads that connect to the match. I'm going to put the key in. Now in order to launch, you must push down the key and if you have a good connection, the light bulb will light up. You do your countdown and when you're ready to launch the rocket, you attach the leads to the electric match, it doesn't matter which side you attach them to. Make sure that they're not shorting out and when you're ready to launch, you hold down the key, you get the light, if you got the light, when you reach zero, blastoff. You hold down the button, the light will go out as all the electricity goes to the match. Press it and hold it until the launch happens. If the launch does not happen, release, pull out your key, I'd wait at least a minute to make sure the thing's not going to go off all the sudden because maybe it's just smoldering then approach it carefully, detach your leads and recheck everything. Maybe you need a new engine, maybe you need a new igniter, maybe your igniter wasn't in the engine properly, maybe you have a short in crossed wires. Alright let's head out and launch this. OK, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. And that's how you launch a rocket."