 This article appeared in the March 1970 (Vol. II, No. 6) issue of Model Rocketry Magazine |
 |
||
APOLLO-NASA LAUNCHES IN ASTRODOME55,200 Spectators and National TV Audience Witness Blue Bonnet Bowl Spectacular |
|||
 Saturn
V lifts off from the 50-yard line before 55,000 fans in the Astrodome. |
The model rocket highlight of 1969 was staged by Houston's Apollo-NASA Section before over 50,000 spectators and millions of TV viewers. During halftime of the Bluebonnet Bowl the Apollo-NASA demonstration team fired a salvo of small rockets, followed, by a scale Saturn V launch, providing New Year's Eve entertainment for the football fans gathered in the Houston Astrodome. This model rocket spectacular, the first launch was broadcast on live national TV, came about as a result of a concentration of effort on the part of Apollo-NASA members to bring the club to the attention of local citizens. Earlier in the year, the club sent literature describing the model rocket hobby to the Houston area news media, public officials, and schools. Among the people contacted was Paul Haney, formerly NASA's "Voice of Apollo" and now in charge of public relations for the Astrodome. Haney attended one of the club's launches and was presented with a Centuri Little Joe II, which Apollo-NASA Senior Advisor Forrest McDowell had constructed for the occasion. Haney was intrigued by the possibility of a launch in the Dome. Club members convinced him that model rockets could be flown safely indoors, and without smashing into the 194 foot high roof. Planning for the launch began. |
||
| On December 11 the Apollo-NASA demonstration team of Gary King, Barry Friedrichs, Ben Russell, Forrest McDowell Jr., Mark Evans, Daniel Vincent, Forrest McDowell III, and Chris McDowell, accompanied by Paul Haney, conducted the first model rocket launch in the dome. The historical first rocket off the pad inside the dome was an Estes V-2 powered by a 1/2A engine. Next up was an orbital transport powered by a B3-3. Then came another first -- Forrest McDowell III, eight-year-old son of the Apollo-NASA Senior Advisor, fired an A engine powered Alpha which promptly became the first rocket to power prang on the way up - it hit the roof! Paul Haney brought out his Little Joe II, modified for the new Estes D engine. It flew straight toward the ceiling, deployed its 'chute, and tangled in one of the beams. At last report, the Little Joe II was still hanging from the ceiling. Based on the success that afternoon, plans moved forward for the Blue Bonnet Bowl launch. |
 Gary
King and Barry Friedrichs pose with a Saturn V and V-2 after the December 11 launch, the
first inside the Astrodome (in background). |
||
| As with any
demonstration launch, a Saturn V was a must. But how? Cluster launching on live national
TV? How about the new Estes D engine? Too powerful! A quick check of the Malewicki
altitude curve (printed elsewhere in this issue) shows over 200 feet for a Saturn V
powered by the new D. Pranging into the ceiling before 50,000 spectators would be a bit
embarrassing. Estes Industries came to the rescue with the promise of a special engine for the Astrodome launch. Ed Brown of the engine manufacturing department prepared the special 15.5 nt.-sec. engines, designed to take the model to within 20 feet of the Astrodome roof. A number of the engines were test-flown in a Saturn V at the Estes plant. None flew as high as the 194 foot roof of the Astrodome, so a shipment of D's certified not to hit the roof if used in a standard Saturn V was sent to Apollo- NASA. Just to be sure, though, two additional practice launchings were held in the Astrodome before the big day. |
 Paul
Haney, who assisted with the arrangements for the Dome launch, prepares to fire his Little
Joe II at another Apollo-NASA launch. |
||
| It was decided, since college football rules specify the time available to each band during halftime, that the rocket demonstration would last only about four minutes. Just time for the launching of a salvo of small rockets from each end of the field followed by the Saturn V launch from the 50-yard line. Mark Evans began construction of the Estes Saturn V to be used in the demonstration, while Bob DeLeon constructed the launch tower (note the detail shown in the cover photo). Just to be sure, a complete backup system was constructed. Maurice Stubblefield built another Saturn V, this one by Centuri, while F. McDowell built the back-up tower. The small rockets used in the demonstration were built on an assembly-line process at McDowell's house by Mark Evans, Barry Friedrichs, and Forrest McDowell while Forrest McDowell III prepared all the 'chutes. Ray Runnels completely rewired two of the club's six launch racks for the occasion. |  Apollo-NASA
prepares a demonstration launch for the Houston Sports Association. One of a series of
practice shots before the Bowl event. |
||
 Mark
Evans (above) prepares the Estes Saturn V for launch from the 50-yard line. The rocket,
which was built by Mark, was flown twice in practice and then on national TV during the
Blue Bonnet Bowl. At the same time Forrest McDowell (below) and other Apollo-NASA members
prepared twelve smaller rockets for firing from the end-zones. These rockets had
fluorescent-coloured fins, black nose cones, and bodies covered with metallic wrapping
paper. |
Vern and Gleda
Estes and Bill and Gail Simon from Estes Industries and Leroy and Betty Piester from
Centuri Engineering came to town to witness the event. During the half-time six rockets were set up on launchers under each goal post. The firing was scheduled to occur after both bands had finished their performances. But, as the first band was leaving the field, the countdown began. The lights went off in the Dome, and the streaks of 12 Alphas, Javelins, and a Starfire were seen crisscrossing the field. The lights were turned on, and the birds could be seen slowly drifting down on their parachutes. TV coverage provided by the Hughes Sports Network was excellent; the cameramen caught the liftoff and followed a rocket to the ground. The spotlight shifted to the 50-yard line where Mark Evans and Darrel Vincent were preparing the Saturn V for launch. A cheer went up from the 50,000 fans as the countdown reached zero and the Saturn lifted from the pad. It climbed towards the ceiling, the parachute deployed, and it was recovered successfully. Again the TV camera did a remarkable job, allowing the Saturn to climb majestically out of the fields of their cameras and then picking it up again as it drifted slowly down under the 'chute. Following the launch, rockets from the salvo were presented to the Bowl queen and her alternates as well as to Betty Piester, Gleda Estes, and Gail Simon. The demonstration launch generated a great amount of publicity for model rocketry, Apollo-NASA, and the NAR. Apollo-NASA, however, doesn't consider this a one-time event. They have demonstrated that launchings in conjunction with major sports presentations are practical, and have several more in the planning stage. With the increasing number of scale models on the market, Apollo-NASA plans to present a history of space exploration illustrated with scale-model rocket launchings. No date has yet been set, but keep watching your TV, for you will probably hear again this year, "Now, live from the Houston Astrodome, Apollo-NASA presents ..." |
||
 Forrest
McDowell presents one of the salvo rockets to the Bowl Queen. |
 Mark
Evans and Vern Estes hold two rockets flown in the Astrodome launch. |
||