NASA scientists aren't the only ones who can play with rockets! Once a year, the most fearless and hardcore of all rocket builders from around the country come together at LDRS and go head-to-head to see who can build the meanest, baddest most powerful rocket around. For five days, more than 2,000 rockets burst into the sky with a billow of smoke, racing thousands of feet straight up in a matter of seconds. In fact, the FAA has no choice but to divert all air traffic around the entire event!
This year, Science Channel brings the event to you on July 5 at 9PM and all of the fire and grit that goes with it! What does LDRS stand for? Quite simply, Large Dangerous Rocket Ships. Hey, why complicate a good thing?
And who better to host this explosive event than Kari Byron from Mythbusters? This artist, science chick and working mom sees more explosions in a week on the Mythbusters set than most people see in a lifetime! She's right up in the action and takes viewers behind the red tape to find out more about these wacky contestants and their self-made rockets.
To make things even more hectic, LDRS hosts four different categories of competitive rocketry:
Drag Racing: A wild event where tons of rockets all launch into the sky at once. The first rocket to reach one thousand feet is declared the winner. Think traditional drag racing except, well, vertical and with a lot more fire.
Race To 6,000 Feet: Powerful rockets launch in turns attempting to reach at least 6,000 ft. straight up as fast as possible. There are some situations where red tape is actually a good thing. This is one of those times. Stand back, people!
Low Altitude: This is one of the craziest events we've ever seen. The competition opens up to rocket enthusiasts and their, let's just say "unconventional" rockets. We're talking things like port-a-potties and washer/dryers strapped to explosives and launching into the sky. The trick is, these crazy flying objects need to land safely, and without smashing into pieces. You do not want to miss this.
Experimental: * This is the main event — the Holy Grail of competitive rocketry — the 100,000 ft. mark. It has only been reached once, but the rebel rocket builders have descended on LDRS with hugely powerful, entirely unpredictable homemade rockets in hopes of breaking the current record.
All year long, these rocket enthusiasts plan, tinker, test and toy with their machines, using physics, engineering, math, and some serious courage to produce some of the most insanely high-powered rockets anyone has ever seen.
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