Rocket sled failed to set record

[unhappycamper]

Rocket sled failed to set record
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Feb 5, 2008 21:26:08 EST

HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. — Officials at Holloman Air Force Base announced Tuesday that a Navy test at the base’s high speed test track did not end up setting a land speed record as previously thought.

“We’re all a little bummed about it,” said B. Arlan Ponder, a spokesman for the southern New Mexico base.

Holloman officials said initial indications showed that the test last Thursday was successful and that a land speed record of 6,589 mph was set. But engineers later determined that the desired velocity wasn’t reached.

Ponder said the engineers were still “crunching all those numbers” to determine the actual speed of the rocket sled. They also were trying to determine what caused the lower velocity.

The Navy blasted a rail-mounted rocket sled — made up of three pusher sleds and a front sled — some 3.61 miles down the test track in a trip that lasted about 6 seconds. Base officials said a helium tent enclosed 2.77 miles of track to reduce aerodynamic heating and drag on the payload, designed by Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/02/ap_rocketrecord_080205/



uhc comment: Here's the original announcement --> http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=259&topic_id=10855