THE BERKELEY DAILY GAZETTE

Berkeley, California, USA

29 July 1938

(page 9)

New Rocket is Designed

PASADENA, July 29.

An attempt to break the present world altitude record for shooting rockets is to be made in the near future by John W. Parsons, explosives chemist, who has done rocket motor research work research work at the California Institute of Technology, and Edward E. Forman, rocket engineer.

The present record is 8000 feet and is held by Dr. R. H. Goddard, whose rockets have been released in New Mexico. The two Pasadena workers are convinced they can exceed this mark.

They have completed their experiments in the Arroyo Seco River bottom near here and now are determined on the style of rocket to be built and the manner of explosive energy to be used.

The rocket being constructed, and which will probably be shot upward within the next two months, will stand 20 inches high and will have four fins.

It is to weigh only between one and two pounds, with the fuel weighing four-fifths of a pound.

This fuel, however, is arranged in such a manner that during the course of the flight there will be 100 discharges at the rate of five or ten seconds.

The cartridges containing these charges will be fired by a mechanism similar to a machine gun. The impulse from each discharge will continue “kicking” the rocket higher and higher into the air.

The smokeless powder to be used has twice the power of black powder. The powder also provides more power than the gas commonly used.

The rocket will be equipped with a parachute and an altimeter which will bring down its record.