The most recent issue of Popular Science magazine has a feature on High Powered Rocketry, more specificly, the national launch called LDRS. This article is very detrimental press for the rocketry community, as it makes them out to be dangerous, and it shows mostly rockets failing.
This image is exceptionally misleading.
Only one person has ever died in High Powered Rocketry’s history, and that person was apparently lacking some intelligence. This single person was attempting to retrieve a rocket which had landed in power lines, and therefore was electrocuted with a notable amount of electricity.
On the cover of the magazine, it mentions a rocket “with 50 pounds of explosives.” This statement is distinctly fallacious, as technically, the motors that power these rockets are not explosives (explosives list). No chemical in any rocket motor at this launch can be recognized as an explosive.
Finally, the article features mostly rockets which have failed, giving the impression that they are unsafe and not carefully planned. This is untrue, as by far the majority of rockets succeed. Rocketry is not a dangerous hobby, and that fact is indisputable.
Articles such as these are what give the impression that rocketeers are not scientific in their work. This is an exact science. Trust me, I’ve seen them work.
