Argonia International Rocketry Festival -- September 5-7, 1998
Written by: Gene Nowaczyk - TRA #5430 & Jim Ball - TRA# 4859
Photos by : Ken Howerton and Gene Nowaczyk
Mike Hedges launched his brand new and still unpainted LOC Mother Load on a cluster of three K1050 single use motors. A second after ignition and liftoff, one of the K1050's catoed, ripping one of the motor tubes apart and away from the rest of the airframe. The rocket then began to flip and spin out of control towards the RSO table. The remains of the Mother Lode finally came to rest atop another rocket awaiting launch on the mid-power pads. Mike has already rebuilt it.