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Houston—we’ve found the booster!
“When you touch something
that has been to outer space, it almost feels like you’ve
been there yourself.” Ky Michaelson, Founder CSXT
DENVER, CO (December 7, 2004)
– On May 17th, 2004 the GoFast
Rocket became the first-ever civilian rocket launched into
outer space—setting a world record by winning the amateur
space race and sending the first energy drink into space.
The ‘first in flight’ feat was sponsored by Denver-based
Go Fast Sports & Beverage Co., and Connecticut-based Fuscient,
and was conducted by the Civilian Space eXploration Team (CSXT).
Traveling well beyond the definition of space—reaching
77 miles or 406,560 feet in elevation—the GoFast Rocket
set numerous world records that riveted the attention of major
national news networks such as CNN and FOX News National.
New enthusiasm surrounds the recovery of the GoFast Rocket
booster, which after much speculation concerning its where-abouts,
was spotted last month by a helicopter crew flying over the
Granite Mountain Range in Nevada. The booster—which
provides lift-off thrust for the rocket, had built-in tracking
devices to help monitor and locate its coordinates using audio
signals. Ground crews were challenged when they were unable
to hear audio signals from the device after it hit the ground.
The booster had landed in a desolate area about 3 miles from
where the rocket’s payload was initially recovered—a
mere 24 hours after launch.
“Mystery solved—after endless searching since
last May, I was convinced that the search was indeed like
looking for a needle in a hay stack,” said Jerry Larson
– Launch Conductor and Program Manager for CSXT. “The
Black Rock desert is a vast unpopulated area, and the odds
were certainly against us ever finding this critical piece
of hardware that had been in space. It was truly unbelievable
how it was recovered and to our amazement, the hardware was
in great condition,” added Larson.
The salvage of the booster will enable the nose cone section—containing
the payload, to be re-united with its big brother the booster,
at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum in Washington,
DC. The GoFast Rocket payload contained three cans of Go Fast
Energy Drink, several American flags and other mementos from
the CSXT team members. “When you touch something that
has been to outer space, it almost feels like you’ve
been there yourself,” said Ky Michaelson, Founder of
the CSXT.
“Going fast—traveling at Mach 5 into space, the
GoFast Rocket truly lived up to its name,” said Troy
Widgery, Founder of Go Fast Sports & Beverage Co. “The
success of the launch showcases new strides in science, technology,
rocketeering, and new world records in speed—that is
what Go Fast is all about,” Widgery continued.
The successful launch of the GoFast rocket marks a milestone
in CSXT’S eight-year quest for a team from the U.S.A.
to win the amateur space race.
GoFast Rocket Makes History as First Civilian Rocket Launched
into Outer Space
Traveling well beyond the definition
of space, the GoFast Rocket wins the amateur space race
DENVER, CO (May 20, 2004)
– On Monday, May 17th, the GoFast Rocket became the first-ever
civilian rocket to make it into outer space. Sponsored by
Denver-based Go Fast Sports & Beverage Company and Connecticut-based
Fuscient, the Civilian Space eXploration Team (CSXT) has won
the amateur space race and set a new world record with their
GoFast Rocket.
"Never before has a non-government sponsored group designed,
built and launched a rocket that has reached outer space,
and we are so proud to say that a team from the U.S.A. has
won the amateur space race," said Jerry Larson, Launch
Conductor and Program Manager for CSXT.
With all FAA and U.S. Government approvals in place, and air
space cleared with Air Traffic Control, the GoFast Rocket
was launched from the dry lakebed in Black Rock, Nevada at
11:11 a.m. PDT. The GoFast Rocket reached a speed of approximately
4,000 miles per hour to break through the definition of outer
space, which is 62 miles. Analysis of the on board flight
data has the rocket reaching 77 miles or 406,560 feet in elevation.
"The GoFast Rocket sure lived up to its name!" said
Ky Michaelson, Founder of the CSXT. "This has been an
eight-year quest for a group of amateur rocketeers, and we
could not have asked for a better team to send the GoFast
Rocket into the history books. The team’s expectation
of what would happen at this launch was bursting with energy
and anticipation, and watching this rocket in its pursuit
of outer space was absolutely extraordinary!" Michaelson
continued.
The GoFast Rocket’s payload contained three cans of Go
Fast Energy Drink, several American flags and other mementos
from the CSXT team members. The payload was recovered approximately
twenty-four hours after the launch, with all items fully intact.
"When you touch something that has been to outer space,
it almost feels like you’ve been there yourself,"
said Michaelson.
"When Ky and Jerry approached Go Fast to support this
effort, we were impressed with their enthusiasm, professionalism
and determination to send this rocket at 4,000 miles per hour
into space, said Troy Widgery, Founder of Go Fast Sports &
Beverage Co. They have defined the pursuit of speed, and that
is a part of what Go Fast is all about," Widgery continued.
The story of the CSXT and the GoFast Rocket’s successful
mission into outer space will be featured in a television
documentary titled "62 Miles Up" to air later in
the summer of 2004. Ky plans to tour the U.S.A. with the GoFast
Rocket, and ideally the CSXT would like to see it placed in
the Smithsonian Institution as the first civilian rocket to
reach outer space. |
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