Primera Technology, Inc., one of the world's leading developers and manufacturers of CD/DVD disc duplication and printing equipment, today announced its sponsorship of the world's first civilian rocket launch into space.
"As a leading manufacturer of specialty printers and CD/DVD duplicators, we pride ourselves in being on the cutting-edge of technology. Sponsoring the Primera Spaceshot 2001 is one way that we can encourage the development of other new, emerging technologies in fields outside of the typical high-tech arena," said Bob Cummins, CEO of Primera Technology, Inc.
Ky Michaelson, along with the Civilian Space Exploration Team, has been preparing for the rocket launch since 1995. Michaelson and his team plan to make history by shooting the first civilian rocket into space. The Primera Spaceshot 2001 will launch from Black Rock, Nevada in July of 2001. The launch date and time will remain top-secret until the date draws near.
On board, the Primera Spaceshot 2001 will carry eight commemorative Primera CDs, recorded and printed by Primera Technology's popular Composer™ Optical Disc Duplicator and SignaturePro™ CD Color Printer. When the CDs return from space they will be auctioned off with proceeds going to charity. A video of the actual space shot will be put onto each CD. The CDs will be available through the Primera Technology web site at www.primeratechnology.com.
About Ky "The Rocketman" Michaelson. A native of Bloomington, Minnesota, Ky Michaelson has worked with rocket powered vehicles for more than 50 years. He has won 72 state, national and international speed records, including the world's fastest civilian-built rocket that reached a speed of 3, 205 miles per hour. "The Rocketman" is also listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for building the world's fastest snowmobile. Michaelson has worked as a Stunt Coordinator and stuntman for more than 200 television shows and films. He also holds several Guinness World Records for his stunt capabilities. Michaelson currently presides as President of the National Experimental Rocket Organization. This year, along with his Civilian Space Exploration Team and the help of Primera Technology, He plans to launch the first civilian built rocket into space, the Primera Spaceshot 2001.
About Primera Technology. Headquartered in Plymouth, Minnesota, Primera Technology, Inc. is a leading developer and manufacturer of CD-R/DVD-R duplication and printing equipment.Primera prides itself in developing industry-leading products like the Composer Optical Disc Duplicator, Signature-series CD Color Printers, Inscripta™ Thermal CD Printer, and the Cyclone™ Bar Code Label Printer. More information about Primera, its history and products, is available on the internet at www.primeratechnology.com or by calling 1-800-XXX-XXXX.
In Europe and Scandinavia, contact Primera EUROPE email at sales@primeraeurope.de.
Notes to Editors: Composer and Inscripta are trademarks and Primera and Signature are registered trademarks of Primera Technology, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. Primera Technology EUROPE is an independent company called DTM Werbung & EDV GmbH. DTM is under contract with Primera to provide sales and support for Primera products under the name Primera Technology EUROPE.
The PRIMERA rocket, designed and built by the Civilian Space Exploration Team is finished and awaits the final countdown to history. A single stage unguided rocket, the PRIMERA is the most powerful amateur rocket every built. Weighing in at a hefty 551 pounds the PRIMERA will roar off the launch pad and in 15 seconds of powered flight is expected to speed past the 3,205 mph record set by CSXT’s last launch of SPACESHOT 2000. The FAA in Washington DC has given CSXT the green light to proceed.
“We have risen to the challenge even stronger following the attempt of SPACESHOT 2000”, says Program Manager Jerry Larson. “Every part of the rocket has been re-designed… right down to the bolts”. “This project has been more about the human will to succeed and achieve the goal than anything else”.
The goal is to be the first amateurs in history to launch into outer space leading the way for even bigger projects hints Ky Michaelson, CSXT’s founder and Program Director. “Although the we were unsuccessful in reaching space in 2000 we accomplished allot, from receiving FAA launch approval to setting a new speed record”. Ky goes on to say “Out of some 25 teams world wide striving to reach space we continue to lead the way, and this is only the beginning, we have in the works the next phase project, and it is huge!”. Ky explains that following a successful launch into space CSXT will unveil to the world the “next phase, and it’s out of this world”.
The launch of PRIMERA was originally schedule for late September 2001 but the FAA put the launch on hold because of the enormous task that remained to approve the new rocket design and launch systems to ensure public safety. “This rocket is complex and the ground systems required to launch it are equally complicated, It has just taken longer than the FAA expected to review and approve everything”, explains Larson.
The launch of PRIMERA is scheduled for this month when the Civilian Space eXploration Team will once again travel to the deserts of Nevada to take a “Shot” at making history.
CSXT (Civilian Space eXploration Team) has announced that the scheduled launch of its PRIMERA SpaceShot 2002 rocket was postponed due to unacceptably high winds at the Nevada launch site. The goal of the mission was to launch the world's first civilian rocket into space.
Winds gusts to 60 MPH were measured at the vehicle's launch tower, far exceeding the maximum limits set by CSXT and FAA for a precision launch into space. All flight attempts in the June 26, 27 and 28 launch windows were scrubbed.
Over the next few weeks, CSXT will evaluate its options for a new launch attempt of its PRIMERA SpaceShot2002 vehicle.
The launch of the world's first amateur space rocket is less than one month away. The Civilian Space eXploration Team (CSXT), a group of space enthusiasts, has been given final clearance for a September launch by the FAA and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
"All systems are go," announced Program Manager Jerry Larson. "We're more confident than ever, after our complete system checkout and mission launch rehearsals in June. Our obstacles then were high winds and narrow launch windows. Historically, the winds are less in September. And our launch windows are now much broader. I like our odds for making history."
The PRIMERA rocket, designed and built by CSXT, is the most powerful amateur rocket ever created. Weighing 511 pounds, and 17 feet tall, the rocket will be propelled to well over Mach 5 in just 15 seconds -- breaking CSXT's previous speed record of 3,205 MPH -- and will reach space in only one minute and thirty seconds.
During atmosphere re-entry, the rocket will separate into two sections, and will be brought safely back to earth by two specially designed Rocketman parachutes. The landing point will be approximately 25 miles downrange, with a total flight time of about 10 minutes.
Ky Michaelson, CSXT's founder and Program Director, said, "The rocket is ready, and so are we. This is the culmination of years of work by a wonderful team." Michaelson went on to say, "Worldwide, some 25 amateur teams have been trying to reach space, but we continue to lead the way. And this flight is just the beginning. We're about to unveil a truly out-of-this world mission. Stay tuned."
The technology on board the rocket is impressive. CSXT Avionics Program: CSXT avionics system is more advanced than any system ever developed for an amateur launch, the system includes multiple tracking systems and event-timing computers - even a live color television transmitter that will broadcast throughout the flight. The images from space should be truly spectacular. Much of the avionics system is based on amateur "ham" radio technology.
The rocket launch is scheduled to occur during mid-to-late September in the Nevada desert. For safety and security reasons, the FAA has requested that the exact date and location not be announced until just prior to the flight.
On September 19, 2002, at 9:19 AM PDT, the Civilian Space eXploration Team (CSXT) launched the world's first amateur space rocket from the desert of Black Rock, Nevada. All onboard computers and telemetry systems reported a precise trajectory to space when, at three seconds after liftoff, the motor burned through the casing just above the fin section causing the motor to fail. All of the debris was contained downrange in the pre-planned safety recovery zone. A detailed failure investigation is currently underway to determine the root cause of the mishap and recommend corrective actions for the next launch.
Ky Michaelson, CSXT's founder and Program Director, said, "Our initial review of the failure points to a correctable situation. We're optimistic we can make the appropriate engineering adjustments -- and keep our historic program on track."
Jerry Larson, Program Manager, commented, "The rocket was performing flawlessly, flying straight and true -- precisely on its planned trajectory. We would have, indeed, made space. That gives us great hope for our next flight." Larson continued, "The recovered flight recorders and the vehicle components are making it very clear to us what the problem was…making it very easy for us to fix and continue on."
Michaelson added, "We welcome sponsors and supporters that share our vision of the future. Space is, without question, the next great business environment -- and will soon be accessible to civilians and companies of every size. Those companies that get on board now will reap the rewards of blazing this new frontier."
The Civilian Space eXploration Team (CSXT) is fine-tuning its rocket motor design, and is coordinating the facilities necessary to conduct a full-scale static motor test during the next couple of months. The team is confident of its timeline for a 2003 space launch attempt.
Ky Michaelson, CSXT's founder and Program Director, said, “We are certain that we’ve discovered and have a solution for our motor issue. From an engineering standpoint, it is a relatively easy modification. We’re as energized as ever to make history as the first amateur group to launch a rocket into space.”
Michaelson continued, “In our last launch, all other systems performed precisely as designed. In fact, some even exceeded our expectations. Everything is looking great for our next launch.”
The precise date for the launch has not been announced by CSXT, as the final details for the launch campaign are not yet complete. However, according to CSXT, late summer or early fall of 2003 are the most likely launch windows. The team plans to announce a firm launch date after the conclusion of the static motor test.
Sponsorships for the historic launch are still available. According to Michaelson, "Space will, indeed, be the next great business environment. We welcome sponsors and supporters that share our vision for this new frontier.”
The Civilian Space eXploration Team (CSXT) is proud to announce that Fuscient, LLC (www.fuscient.com) has joined our team as the lead sponsor for our 2003 launch. Their commitment is an essential step in the plan for our historic launch this year.
Fuscient is a nationwide leader in a new breed of marketing organizations. The company’s hallmark is “scientific marketing”: innovative and creative marketing that is trackable and measurable -- providing quantifiable results and return-on-investment for their clients' marketing dollars.
Fuscient’s commitment to CSXT includes sponsor capital, Web development, and advanced online technologies that will enable the world to keep track of the CSXT program -- right up through the launch. (Details on the launch schedule to follow in a future release.)
According to Wayne Vaughan, President of Fuscient, “We are abundantly proud to play an important role in this historic project. It’s the perfect partnership.” Vaughan went on to say, “Our two organizations are very like-minded. We both believe that there are no limits to what can be achieved when great people with innovative minds come together to accomplish a goal. We couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of such a fine organization as CSXT.”
Fuscient’s repertoire of services include:
Marketing
Brand identity development and extension
Offline marketing / ad campaign development
Online marketing / ad campaign development
Media research, planning, and placement
Media performance tracking
E-mail marketing
Search Engine Optimization
Interactive
Web site development and re-engineering
Web site analytics (statistics, tracking, etc.)
Multimedia development
Technology
Application development
Microsoft SQL, .NET, ASP, VB, C#, etc.
Systems integration
For more information on Fuscient, and how they can help take your business to new heights, please visit www.fuscient.com.
The Civilian Space eXploration Team (CSXT) is proud to announce that Denver, Colorado based Go Fast Sports & Beverage Co. (www.gofastsports.com) has joined with CSXT as a major sponsor for our 2003 world record attempt launch from Black Rock Nevada. “We are excited and honored to call this years rocket ‘Go Fast’ after Go Fast Sports & Beverage Company for their contributions and commitment to this historic event”, said CSXT President Ky Michaelson. “And we fully intend to go fast come this fall in the deserts of Nevada”. Michaelson went on to say that “construction of the Go Fast rocket is underway and we expect to have the vehicle completed by late September with the launch to follow shortly after.”
According to Troy Widgery, founder of Go Fast, “We are thrilled to support this team in their world record attempt, as they are defining the pursuit of speed with the Go Fast Rocket. It is a unique and exciting opportunity to be able to contribute to, and be part of this project and event.”
Go Fast Sports & Beverage Company is the producer and distributor of Go Fast Energy Drink and Go Fast Sports Apparel, which represent two of the key components of the Go Fast brand. Go Fast was founded through extreme sports, and is dedicated to encouraging sports enthusiasts by creating products that inspire them to stay active and Go Fast! Go Fast is a young, entrepreneurial brand that distributes its products through a growing network of dealers and distributors around the world. For more information about Go Fast, please visit www.GoFastSports.com.
Phoenix Integration, the aerospace industry leader in software integration and automation, today announced its sponsorship of the Civilian Space eXploration Team (CSXT), a group of amateur rocketeers seeking to launch the first civilian rocket into space. Phoenix has donated its ModelCenter® and Analysis Server® software to CSXT for use in the design of their next space launch vehicle.
Ky Michaelson, Hollywood stunt legend and founder of CSXT said, "We are pleased and honored to have Phoenix Integration as part of our Space Shot project. Their ModelCenter software has taken us to the next level of sophisticated rocket design". CSXT uses ModelCenter as the central driver to integrate and link together their propulsion, mass properties, aerodynamics, trajectory, and stability models into one custom rocket design process. Once integrated, the rocket team can explore hundreds of options to optimize their design for top performance.
"ModelCenter is by far the most advanced simulation software in the world and has been a key element in our 2004 quest to reach space," says Jerry Larson, Program Manager and rocket designer for CSXT's GoFast rocket. "Not only is it powerful, but it is extremely easy to use and produces results fast, which is critical for a team working after hours and on weekends to set a world record".
"We are very excited about sponsoring CSXT's space launch efforts," says Brett Malone, president of Phoenix Integration. "ModelCenter has been used on many large government and commercial projects and we're pleased that it is also contributing to this exciting civilian endeavor."
Used by the top 5 defense contractors in the world, ModelCenter allows aerospace companies to integrate and automate numerous software tools, remote locations, and different computing platforms into a cohesive environment for systems design. Phoenix Integration's product structure spans the needs of engineering groups, technical computing, and corporate IT infrastructure. The products are designed to be lightweight, extremely scalable, and fit into the existing engineering computing environment. More information can be found on the Phoenix website at http://www.phoenix-int.com/products.
About Phoenix Integration
Phoenix Integration is a leading provider of integration solutions for scientific and technical organizations worldwide. Using a unique mix of distributed computing technology, design integration interfaces and automation tools, Phoenix provides organizations with a streamlined engineering process so they can get to market faster and better. Phoenix is privately held. www.phoenix-int.com
Minneapolis, MN, May 17, 2004 -- The CSXT (Civilian Space eXploration Team) has received approval from the Federal Government to conduct its historic space launch later this month. “We're confident that our ‘Go Fast' Space Shot 2004 Rocket will be the first rocket built by amateurs to be launched into space,” says CSXT founder, Ky Michaelson.
The CSXT team was formed with two goals: to achieve something that has never been done before and to open the doors to low cost space launches for the private sector - proving that space is open for exploration and use by everyone and not just the world's governments.
The CSXT team is comprised of 18 rocket and space enthusiasts from across the country led by Program Manager Jerry Larson, “I am proud to be part of a group of such talented and resourceful people – the team is destined to win the amateur space race.”
The 21-foot ‘Go Fast' rocket will reach a speed of over 4000 MPH in less than 9 seconds and reach a maximum altitude of 69 miles.
The ‘Go Fast' rocket is sponsored by Go Fast Sports & Beverages Co. ( www.gofastsports.com ) and Fuscient, LLC ( www.fuscient.com )
A team of rocketeers led by a Bloomington, Minn., man has claimed success in their goal of launching the first amateur rocket into space, sending a 21-foot rocket an estimated 70 miles above the Nevada desert.
Ky Michaelson, 65, a former Hollywood stuntman, had been working since 1995 to blast an amateur rocket into space, defined as 62 miles above the earth. His first two attempts, in 2000 and 2002, failed. The third time was the charm.
"I just freaked out," Michaelson said of Monday's successful launch. "All those emotions after all those years came out of me. I just couldn't believe it."
This year's model, dubbed the GoFast Rocket, was built in six different states and assembled at the launch site in northwestern Nevada .
About 25 members of the team that built the rocket, Civilian Space eXploration Team, or CSXT, were on hand to watch the launch at 11:12 a.m. Everyone held their breaths as the countdown reached liftoff, he said.
"I was concentrating on watching the motor," Michaelson said. "If the motor blows up, it's all over."
Michaelson said they were still working to recover the rocket on Tuesday, and that its telemetry package should tell them the exact altitude. But he said it reached 4,200 miles an hour in 10 seconds, so the laws of physics would have taken it up about 70 miles.
"Once you hit 4,200 miles an hour, that thing's gone into space," he said
The Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Lausanne, Switzerland, the governing body that certifies international aviation records, doesn't have a specific category of records for such accomplishments, but sometimes establishes one after a precedent is set, said Thierry Montigneaux, assistant to the secretary general. He said he didn't think the FAI had a record of such a previous unmanned amateur rocket flight in its archives.
Michaelson founded CSXT in 1998, bringing together amateur rocketeers including teachers, students and real rocket scientists. In 2000, they launched a rocket that reached 3,205 mph before wind shear snapped off a fin at 45,000 feet. In 2002, they launched a rocket that soared for three seconds before the motor burned through the casing and it exploded.
Other amateur groups are competing to blast though the same door. Last week, a group led by Burt Rutan launched a piloted rocket from a plane that climbed to 211,400 feet, becoming the first privately funded manned vehicle to reach the edge of space.
The launch in the Black Rock Desert was monitored by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Donn Walker, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, noted that many private companies already have launched spacecraft such as those carrying satellites. He said CSXT is essentially engaged in a purely amateur space race but has earned the respect of federal regulators. "They're very legitimate and they do know what they're doing, absolutely," Walker said.
Michaelson, who has more than 200 movies and TV shows to his credit, has been obsessed with rockets all his life. As a young man, he owned a rocket-propelled motorcycle that led to his nickname "The Rocketman."
CSXt news release
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