2000 Division of Planetary Sciences meeting at Fajardo - Can you say Nerds in paradise? Well, it was - sun, warm breezes, drinks with little umbrellas on a beach, plus a whole lot of interesting science talks. What more can you ask for? Money... The place, albeit it nice, was expensive; try $15 for a hamburger!
A few years back, Estes released its Oracle video camera and carrier rocket. I bought one, even though it doesn't have sound, and have launched it a couple of times. You need to bring your computer to the field with this puppy, 'cuz when it turns off, the video goes bye-bye.
It was a good year for Stone Middle School, who made it to Nationals. A not so great year for moi, whose 5 engine cluster - based on a Big Bertha - pushed the limit of what I could easily do with clip whips. The rocket core sampled when the central E9 failed to light, reminding me of the value of the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid) principle.
Yep, I was there - at the NASA Causeway - with my grad school buddies, all awaiting the launch of Discovery and the re-start of Shuttle flights. After two years of downtime, we were thrilled to see Shuttles flying once more. Nothing beats a Shuttle launch... I will miss them after they are retired...